Katie Collins’ teaching career started in her childhood bedroom, where as a young girl she’d spend hours instructing a room full of stuffed animals – and her little sister, Liz, too.

Collins, a 20-year educator and first grade teacher at Bluff Park Elementary in Hoover, is this year’s recipient of Alabama’s prestigious Teacher of the Year award. She is one of two Birmingham-area educators to be named finalists for the state’s highest teaching honor.

“Thank you, Liz, for being my first student, and I am very proud of how you turned out,” she said to a room full of laughter at a ceremony on May 7, also taking a moment to thank other family members, her former teachers, and her students and school staff for their support.

The state board of education also named Aubrey Bennett of George Washington Carver High School in Birmingham the Alternate Alabama Teacher of the Year for 2025-2026. Collins and Bennett were selected from among 155 educators across the state who were recommended by district superintendents, principals and colleagues.

“We honor you because we greatly appreciate what you do for children, but we really honor you more because you represent 55,000 people who get up every morning and go to our classrooms and put their lives out there so they can give and invest into the lives of children,” State Superintendent Eric Mackey told the finalists during the ceremony. “You’re the best of the best, but you’re also representatives of many, many, many great teachers.”

The Alabama Teacher of the Year Program is one of the state’s oldest recognition programs for teachers. Applications are reviewed at the school, district and state level through a rigorous selection process.

See all 16 finalists recognized here:

Teacher of the Year recognition comes with a $5,000 check and numerous opportunities for professional development. Collins will spend the school year serving as a full-time, official ambassador for the teaching profession, and she will also qualify for the National Teacher of the Year contest.

Prior to teaching first grade, Collins has taught middle and high school French, as well as English language courses for children and adults. At Bluff Park, Collins helped create the Communities Family Literacy Program, which helps families of English learners in the Hoover school system. She said she plans to use her new platform to raise more awareness about mental health and promote teaching practices that are engaging for all students.

“Mrs. Collins is enthusiastic about modeling her passion for learning, designing innovative cross-curricular Project-Based Learning units, and facilitating student autonomy and leadership,” Hoover City Schools said in an announcement. “She believes relationships are the foundation to student success and enjoys identifying and nurturing her students’ unique academic gifts.”

Bennett, a 12th grade history teacher, has spent the past 11 years at Carver High, where he also sponsors the student government association and helps with attendance efforts.

District leaders said his work has led to significant improvements in attendance rates. In the past two years, the district has seen a 16 percentage-point drop in chronic absenteeism.

“We are proud of the great work Mr. Bennett contributes at Carver every day,” Superintendent Mark Sullivan said in a news release. “He makes an impact on the scholars at Carver in several areas of school and community life.”