Applause erupted as Coppell High School Principal Laura Springer named English Honors teacher Hannah Corley as the 2025-26 Teacher of the Year at Wednesday’s staff meeting.
Corley was chosen from seven nominees, including English teachers Benjamin Stroud and Laura Salamone, Algebra II teacher Chase Cairns, economics teacher Dani Roseberry and biology teacher Bianca Benitez.
“It is an honor and privilege and I’m very humbled to be recognized,” Corley said. “The whole school has so many incredible teachers and it is hard to pick one. I feel lucky that I get to be the representative of CHS as a whole.”
Since joining the faculty four years ago, Corley promotes growth, both in nature and academics.
“She completely engages kids in the classroom,” Springer said. “She grows them to be better, not just English kids, but students with character.”
She has delicately mastered the balance between interactivity and learning, allowing students to experience English in ways that could change their perspectives on the subject.
“She’s always working to make our lessons really interactive,” sophomore Pranavi Madala said. “We just did a case and mock trial activity that I thought was really fun for us. She is always trying to make things more engaging.”
One notices her cheery personality and ever-present smile from inside the classroom and around the halls of CHS.
“She is in the hallways, celebrating her kids every single day and just has energy and wants to relate to them in every way possible,” English III teacher Debra Sartin said. “I think it’s just really great to see a young innovative teacher win.”
Corley’s countless joy has translated to being a friend to all.
“Watching her become a friend outside of our work relationship has been a huge blessing in my life,” learning coach Emily Pickrell said. “Seeing how she loves her kids and how that translates to her loving my own children has been a huge blessing.”
Though her primary job is teaching English II Honors, the hundreds of photos of her with past and present students pinned to her walls might tell you that she is a countless presence in their personal lives.
“It’s the most exciting thing to get to know them and get to know their passions and go cheer them on, go show up to their events, their performances, their games, their displays, to read their articles that they’re writing, to hear about what they’re doing outside of school,” Corley said.
Throughout her school years many teachers had significant and long lasting impacts, and encouraged t o persevere and continue on course.
“They changed the course of my life for the better,” Corley said. “If I get the chance to even have the opportunity to try to do that for high schoolers now, I want to take advantage of that. Moving forward it’s really not about me, but about how I can help other people and encourage and love other people, and I get to do that through teaching.”
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