Teacher of the Month
The Alabama Public Television Excellence in Education Award is a monthly recognition program for kindergarten through 12th Grade educators across the state of Alabama.
Alabama Public Television is proud to recognize Jaclyn Foster of Tuscaloosa Academy as our Teacher of the Month for January 2026. With 23 years of teaching experience, Ms. Foster exemplifies dedication, creativity, and a deep commitment to helping students grow into informed, confident citizens.
Currently, Ms. Foster teaches 7th-grade Civics and U.S. History, 8th-grade Geography, and a National Geographic elective. While she has taught students across K–12, including serving as a special education teacher and high school history instructor, middle school remains her favorite age group.
“I have taught them all,” she says, “but middle school is where my heart is.”
Ms. Foster’s decision to become an educator was rooted in her love of history and her belief in the power of civic education. What continues to motivate her today is watching students transform from passive learners into active participants in their communities. Through meaningful classroom experiences, ongoing professional learning, and participation in fellowships, she continually seeks ways to grow alongside her students.
In The Classroom
At the heart of Ms. Foster’s teaching philosophy is flexibility. She believes it is the single most important quality a teacher can possess. By reading the room, adjusting lessons, and meeting students where they are, she creates a classroom culture where every student feels safe, respected, and empowered to share their voice.
Building strong relationships with students is central to her success. Ms. Foster prioritizes listening, whether students are sharing ideas, concerns, or personal experiences, because she believes trust begins with being seen and heard. By combining genuine care with clear expectations, she fosters a classroom environment where students feel comfortable taking academic risks.
To keep students engaged and excited about learning, Ms. Foster uses interactive and collaborative strategies daily. Students analyze primary sources, solve problems in groups, and create presentations together. She also incorporates service-learning and civic action projects, allowing students to research real-world issues they care about and take meaningful steps to make a difference.
Ms. Foster teaches in a diverse, college-preparatory environment serving more than 100 students from varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds, including many native German speakers who are multilingual. Her instruction emphasizes differentiation, cross-cultural understanding, and preparation for college success through critical thinking and collaboration.
APT Teacher of the Month Award
Recognizing the challenge of limited funding for hands-on projects, Ms. Foster plans to use her $1,000 Teacher of the Month award to create a dynamic, creative learning experience. Students will write, perform, and produce musical parody videos focused on U.S. history and America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. The funds will support recording equipment, microphones, editing software, costumes, licensed music, and small awards to celebrate student creativity and collaboration.
This project will directly benefit more than 100 students by enhancing engagement, improving literacy and language skills, especially for multilingual learners, fostering digital literacy and public speaking skills, and teamwork skills. By pairing historical content with music, visuals, and performance, students gain deeper understanding and long-term retention while seeing themselves as part of an ongoing democratic story.
For Ms. Foster, being named Teacher of the Month is deeply meaningful.
“It feels like recognition of my students’ hard work as much as my own,” she says. “It celebrates the dedication happening in classrooms all over Alabama and reminds us that this work matters.”
Two quotes displayed in her classroom perfectly capture her philosophy: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. - Nelson Mandela," and “Everything is figure-outable.”
Alabama Public Television congratulates Jaclyn Foster on this well-deserved honor and thanks her for the passion, creativity, and care she brings to her students every day.
Follow Us