Collierville STEM Teacher Named Tennessee Teacher of Year
The state honor highlights a shift toward teaching students perseverance through experimental STEM lessons.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The Tennessee Department of Education has named Jenna Burke, a STEM teacher at Sycamore Elementary in Collierville, as the 2026 Tennessee Teacher of the Year. This win marks the second consecutive year a teacher from Collierville Schools has received the state honor.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights a shift in local instructional strategies, where teachers are encouraged to implement experimental lessons to build student resilience. By reframing failure as a vital learning opportunity, educators aim to sustain student motivation in core subjects like STEM.
Jenna Burke earned the state title following nearly a decade of experience in the classroom, while Julie Manhein was honored as the 2025 Principal of the Year. This dual recognition places Collierville at the center of a historic district milestone not seen in 50 years.
The players
Jenna Burke
The Sycamore Elementary STEM teacher who was recently named the 2026 Tennessee Teacher of the Year.
Collierville Schools
The local school district that has achieved back-to-back state Teacher of the Year honors.
Julie Manhein
The 2025 Principal of the Year recognized for leadership in Tennessee education.
The details
Burke uses an experimental curriculum at Sycamore Elementary that includes group challenges intentionally designed to result in initial failure. This approach is intended to teach students perseverance by normalizing setbacks, which she believes fosters long-term motivation. The district supports this by providing autonomy for teachers to develop and test new instructional methods in their classrooms.
Timeline
2025: Julie Manhein named Principal of the Year.
2026: Jenna Burke named Tennessee Teacher of the Year.
The Home Front
This achievement reflects a broader trend within Tennessee's education system toward empowering local districts to pilot innovative classroom methodologies. It underscores how district-level administrative support for experimental teaching can influence state-level academic recognition.
Parents with students at Sycamore Elementary or in the Collierville district should note that teachers are increasingly utilizing failure-based challenges to build student perseverance in STEM. If your child expresses frustration during these group activities, engage them in conversations about what they learned from the attempt rather than just the final result.
The takeaway
The success of local teachers reinforces the value of resilience-focused learning in modern classrooms. Consider discussing your own child's approach to difficult school assignments, focusing on the problem-solving steps they take when faced with a setback.
What happens next
Jenna Burke is currently applying for the National Teacher of the Year award, with a final selection likely occurring in the coming months.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in Secondary Education across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fox13.
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