Laura Stilltrotter receives the 2025-26 Southeast CORE Novice Teacher of the Year Award at the Tennessee Department of Education’s Excellence in Education event, held in Nashville
Lee University alumna Laura Stilltrotter has been named the 2025-26 Tennessee Novice Teacher of the Year for the Southeast CORE Region by the Tennessee Department of Education.
Ms. Stilltrotter, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (K–5 Certification) from Lee University in 2022, was honored at the Excellence in Education celebration hosted by the Tennessee Department of Education in Nashville. She is one of only eight educators statewide to receive this recognition.
The Novice Teacher of the Year award honors early-career teachers—those in their first three years—who demonstrate instructional excellence, a passion for student growth, and a commitment to professional development. Honorees are selected from each of Tennessee’s Grand Divisions and CORE regions.
A second-grade teacher at Blythe-Bower Elementary School in Cleveland, Ms. Stilltrotter is known for her compassionate and rigorous approach to education. Now in her fourth year of teaching, she began her career at Bess T. Shepherd Elementary in Chattanooga before joining Cleveland City Schools.
“Being named Tennessee’s Novice Teacher of the Year is an honor that holds deep personal and professional meaning for me,” said Ms. Stilltrotter. “It affirms that I’m living out the calling that once felt impossible for me as a child who struggled with reading and confidence. This recognition motivates me to continue building relationships, fostering belonging, and creating a classroom where every student feels seen, capable, and valued.”
Ms. Stilltrotter credits her time at Lee University for shaping her both personally and professionally as an educator.
“My Lee professors taught with passion and empathy, modeling the very qualities I now strive to extend to my own students,” said Ms. Stilltrotter. “They believed in me and showed me what it means to teach with both skill and heart.”
Her current classroom at Blythe-Bower reflects a teaching style rooted in connection, compassion, and academic rigor.
“What I love most about teaching is, without question, the students themselves,” she said. “There is no greater joy than seeing the spark of understanding in a student who has been struggling. Their joy, resilience, empathy, and curiosity continually inspire me.”
Dr. Bill Estes, dean of Lee’s Helen DeVos College of Education, commented on Ms. Stilltrotter’s recognition and her role as a teacher.
“Laura exemplifies what we hope every future educator from Lee becomes—someone who teaches with excellence, empathy, and purpose,” said Dr. Estes. “Her commitment to student growth and relationship-building reflects the best of our college’s values. We are incredibly proud of her and grateful for the difference she’s making in our region’s schools.”
This is the second consecutive year a Cleveland City Schools teacher and Lee alum has received this honor—one in 2025 and three in 2024—highlighting the district’s support for new educators and Lee’s continued impact in teacher preparation.
For more information about the Tennessee Department of Education’s Novice Teacher of the Year award, click here.
Laura Stilltrotter with her students at Blythe-Bower Elementary in April 2024