Shocked faces, loud cheers, and happy tears filled the atmosphere at the luncheon where the Texas Teacher of the Year competition’s results were announced. After writing countless essays, giving multiple in-depth interviews, and submitting complex and often long-winded applications for both the district and regional competitions, Ms. Christine Mihealsick found herself in one of what many argue to be one of the greatest achievements a teacher could receive. Recognized for her dedication and passion for teaching and science, AP Environmental Science (APES) teacher Ms. Mihealsick was announced as Teacher of the Year in Texas on Friday, Oct. 25. With joyous tears in her eyes, she proudly accepted this honor, ready to move on to the nationals competition.

“As a teacher, I just want to work hard and I want everybody to feel successful in my class,” Ms. Mihealsick said. “I don’t really think about the glory and the awards, but I do it because I like working with kids and it was really touching to win the whole thing.”

Winning Texas Teacher of the Year is considered one of the highest achievements for a teacher, with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) priding itself on crafting this position in an effort to celebrate a passion for the field and dedicated community service. For Ms. Mihealsick, her love for teaching began when she was a student studying biology at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). She had always had a yearning for teaching and science, and knew in her heart what she wanted to be once she stepped foot off the college campus.

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and I don’t ever want to leave this — it’s where my heart is,” Ms. Mihealsick said. 

Since then, she has continued teaching science for 23 years, and according to many students and staff alike, has become one of the most renowned and beloved teachers at Westwood.

“In my freshman year [in college] I volunteered with some at-risk students, tutoring them in [chemistry] and [biology], and that kind of became my favorite part of my week,” Ms. Mihealsick said. “Helping them learn as they started to become more successful was the part that made me want to continue teaching. I just really liked working with kids and seeing people learn and grow.

During a research program for teachers at UT, Ms. Mihealsick crossed paths with Ms. Joy Killough, a former AP Biology teacher at Westwood. The two teachers connected over their shared passion for science and education, with Ms. Killough recognizing a spark in Ms. Mihealsick that mirrored her own. By the end of the program, Ms. Killough extended a pivotal invitation to Ms. Mihealsick to join the Westwood faculty. Inspired by Ms. Killough’s  encouragement as her mentor, Ms. Mihealsick soon found herself eager to accept the opportunity to become a part of the very community she now calls home.

“Ever since [Ms Killough]  offered that position, she’s always been my mentor,” Ms. Mihealsick said. “Nobody at Westwood had ever taught APES before I started teaching the program, and she helped teach me how to grow as an AP teacher and how to get kids to pass the test. I still meet with her once a month and we have a book club with some other former, retired Westwood teachers, and she’s always been just phenomenal.”

Throughout her teaching career, Ms. Mihealsick is happy to have learned what it takes to truly make an impact in her classroom as a teacher. Her years of teaching helped develop her teaching philosophy and qualities of what it takes to be a meaningful and exemplary educator.

“I think the biggest cornerstone to [being] a good teacher is to care about kids and want the students to succeed,” Ms. Mihealsick said. “We’ve all had teachers that have been stagnant, [but] it’s important to know how to take your content and translate it for the students in exciting ways that are interesting and are not the same all the time.” 

Beyond grades and rigorous coursework, Ms. Mihealsick hopes to leave a lasting impact on her students. She hopes to encourage her students to feel confident in their abilities to do college-level work when they leave the classroom.

“I want everybody to stay and I don’t ever want kids to drop my class, even if they’re not doing well on quizzes or tests,” Ms. Mihealsick said. “I always want every student to feel like they could be successful at a higher level of work and I want them to know that they can always improve, and I’m always here to help.”

“I want to help teachers grow as leaders and stay in the profession and continue to help kids because it’s really hard for kids to deal with their teachers leaving and [they end up] having permanent subs,” Ms. Mihealsick said. “I want every kid to have good teachers in all their classes and I ask myself, how can I help teachers grow and stay and feel supported?”

After receiving this high honor of Teacher of the Year in the entire state of Texas, Ms. Mihealsick’s next goal is to be the best advocate she can be for the work that teachers and students do in public schools.

“I know I should probably be thinking about bigger goals, but I’m still in this absorbing phase where I can’t believe [winning Teacher of the State] just happened,” Ms. Mihealsick said. “I think if I can get better at conveying the work teachers and students do in public schools, whether that message is to groups of superintendents or the legislature, then that would be a good next goal for me.”