Katie Collins is the 2026 Alabama Teacher of the Year and 2026 National Teacher of the Year Finalist who finds joy in promoting the teaching profession wherever she goes. Outside of the classroom, she is a proud wife to Brian and mother of four, a role that keeps her just as busy and fulfilled as her work. While this year officially marks her 22nd year in education, she has been teaching since she herself was in kindergarten, coming home daily to rehash lessons learned to her younger sister, Liz.

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While she finds herself most at home in a first-grade classroom, Katie’s expertise is remarkably diverse. Katie is a National Board Certified Teacher and Distinguished Modern Classroom Educator who has taught learners of all ages, including middle and high school French, preschool, and English as a Second Language (ESL) for both children and adults. This breadth of experience fuels her passion for people and her belief that deep, authentic relationships are the essential foundation for student success.

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Throughout her career, Katie has been a pioneer for innovative instruction, specializing in cross-curricular Project Based Learning and the fostering of student agency and independence. She is a firm believer in "normalizing failure" as a vital part of the learning process. Her commitment to educational equity led her to co-found the Communities Family Literacy Program, a grassroots initiative she helped build from a mere idea into a fully sustainable program that has served EL families for over a decade.

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Over the past year, Katie has taken her advocacy on the road—literally. As a co-host of the Driving Education podcast, she has traveled all over the state of Alabama interviewing educators and highlighting the incredible work happening in schools across Alabama and the nation. Whether she is nurturing a first grader’s unique gifts or advocating for policy changes at the local, state, or national level, Katie remains devoted to advancing the teaching profession and championing the transformative power of education.