Teacher represents Indiana’s public school educators at National Teachers Hall of Fame
05/09/2017

ISTA member Joe Ruhl is only the sixth Hoosier teacher to be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF). Ruhl is one of five teachers in the country that will travel to Emporia, Kansas, to be inducted into the hall of fame this June.

“Before I was nominated for the NTHF, I didn’t know such a thing existed,” said Ruhl.

Although Ruhl knew about his nomination, he was still surprised with the announcement of the honor during an assembly at Lafayette Jefferson High School, where he’s taught biology since 1984.

“I have a passion for biology, and so I love sharing that with others,” said Ruhl. “To me, teaching means nurturing, coaching and mentoring kids to become lifelong learners. It means helping kids learn to be creative, to collaborate with others, to communicate effectively and to think critically.”

Following his induction into the NTHF, Sen. Ron Alting (R – Lafayette) presented Ruhl with the Sagamore of the Wabash – the highest Hoosier recognition.

“The thing that excites me the most about this award is that I believe it reflects very well on our profession and on public education,” said Ruhl. “I am but a small sample of the outstanding teachers and public schools that we have in Indiana. The award also humbles me as I reflect on the many outstanding colleagues in public education who I have learned from over the years.”

Ruhl is proud to represent Indiana public schools at the induction and in meetings with legislators. He acknowledges that ISTA is especially important right now for the Association’s role in recognizing the value of public educators in our state.

“ISTA and our local associations constantly remind us, as well as people who are outside of education, just how important public education is, and how professional and excellent our public-school teachers are.”

Visit IChoosePublicSchools.org for more information on public education in Indiana.