Education Minnesota recently announced that the field of possible candidates for this year’s Minnesota Teacher of the Year honor has been narrowed to 30 from an initial field of 128 candidates from every corner of the state. Among the candidates was a familiar name to the ACGC Community, Mr. Thomas Rosengren!
In addition to being the 6th Grade Social Studies and Earth Science , he also serves as the ACGC Theatre Director. We connected with Mr. Rosengren to learn more about what is happening in his classroom.
Education Minnesota will announce the winner at the Minnesota Teacher of the Year banquet, scheduled for May 3 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.
What does it mean to you to be a semifinalist for this honor?
Being named a semifinalist feels deeply humbling because it reflects so many people beyond me. Every teacher I had, every mentor who guided me, every colleague who supported me, and every student who challenges me to grow is at the center of this recognition. It also belongs to my family — my parents, Butch and Cindy, and my siblings Angie, Amy, and Troy — who have supported me through every twist and turn of this career. To me, this honor affirms that relationship-centered, compassionate teaching truly matters!
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
I became a teacher because school changed my life! The adults in my schools didn’t just teach content, I felt that they truly saw me, protected me, and believed in me. I wanted to be that steady presence for young people, especially those who feel uncertain or unseen. Teaching allows me to combine curiosity, compassion, and purpose in a way that helps students discover both knowledge and confidence.
What is your favorite thing about being a teacher?
My favorite part is watching students realize they are capable of more than they thought. Whether it’s solving a difficult problem, finding their voice on stage, or simply gaining confidence, those moments of growth are incredibly powerful. I love helping students feel seen, safe, stretched, and significant because when students believe in themselves, everything else becomes possible.
What are some of your favorite classroom activities?
Definitely when my 6th Grade Social Studies classes got to examine actual newspapers from the Civil War, which are more than 160 years old! It really helped them bring the Civil War to life through newspaper headlines
I also love when we get to incorporate food into the classroom. When we were studying the flour industry in Minnesota and learning about Charles Pillsbury, students created stuffed crescent rolls in both sweet and savory flavors. We also got to dive hands-on into the world of Plate Tectonics using graham crackers and frosting to explore how our planet moves and shakes.
Another fun one is when students turned into structural engineers as they designed and tested buildings to withstand earthquakes. They used mini marshmallows and toothpicks to build a variety of different structures—towers, pyramids, bridges, and even geodesic domes—to see which could survive the shake test!
Those activities are fun because it’s a great hands-on way to learn and connect with the concepts.
Any other moments that stand out?
I really love our annual awards banquet and getting to honor and celebrate our students because recognizing our successes is so important to me. I also was so honored to have a play that I wrote called The Frozen Standoff be performed by our talented students. The Willmar 8 were eight female employees of the Citizens National Bank in Willmar who went on strike in 1977 to protest discrimination and demand equal pay. It was even more special because three of the original Willmar 8 members were in attendance.
