North Harford High School teacher named Maryland's 2027 Teacher of the Year
A Harford County educator who loves his job and adores his students has received one of the state's highest honors.
Michael James was recently named Maryland's 2027 Teacher of the Year.
James has been working as an educator for more than 30 years and began teaching at North Harford High School in Pylesville in 2008.
He told CBS News Baltimore that making sure his students feel safe is one of his top priorities.
Celebrating the Maryland Teacher of the Year
The student body at his school held a pep rally for James on Oct. 12 to celebrate his selection as Maryland Teacher of the Year.
"One of the things I've always loved about teaching is, you know, it's my little classroom," he told WJZ.
James is the first Harford County Public Schools teacher to receive the state's top teaching honor since 1996.
A Towson University alumnus, James said teachers often don't think about receiving awards when they enter the profession.
"It's one of those things we teachers never think about because we didn't get into teaching to receive awards," James said.
He added that the recognition serves as a reminder that the work teachers do to support their students is valued.
"This is a reminder that people appreciate and recognize our efforts to help students be the best versions of themselves," James said.
James will represent Maryland in the National Teacher of the Year program. The national award is expected to be announced in April 2027.
On Oct. 17, James will address teachers at the Maryland State Education Association convention in Ocean City.
Building connections
James is known for building genuine connections with his students while keeping learning fun.
"They make me laugh and they're funny and that moment when the lightbulb goes off, suddenly they get it, It's intoxicating," he explained.
CBS News Baltimore asked the English Department Chair at North Harford what he believes is the biggest challenge in education.
Student Ryan Bancells took a creative writing class taught by James in his freshman year.
"He was just a great teacher," Bancells said. "He really allowed everyone to pursue every aspect of writing they were interested in, and he's very flexible to how students want to adapt to the class."
In his new role, James hopes to communicate an important message about teachers.
"I think the message that gets lost is that teachers are professionals, and we need to trust teachers and support them," said James.
