On Feb. 22, St. Francis Middle School teacher Ted Gehring was recognized as the 2025 Minnesota Council for the Social Studies (MCSS) Middle School Social Studies Teacher of the Year at the MCSS Annual Conference in St. Cloud, Minn.
The award from MCSS accepts nominations from colleagues, supervisors, parents and students, then nominees are invited to apply by submitting a resume, lesson plan or classroom activity, two letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. View photos from the conference and award ceremony.
Earlier this month, Gehring was named a 2025 Minnesota Teacher of the Year candidate by Education Minnesota.
"Minnesota Council for Social Studies and Education Minnesota are both awesome organizations,” Gehring said. “They have helped me grow throughout my career as a teacher and educational leader. I’m super honored they have given me the ability to rep my discipline, district, and state."
Additionally, Gehring was a presenter at the 2025 Annual Conference on Feb. 23 where he spoke on the topic of “Implementing Healthy PBIS Competitions to Boost Student Achievement in the Classroom.”
Gehring currently teaches sixth graders in Minnesota Studies. He has been working in the district for 18 years - 13 at the middle school and five at St. Francis High School - and is very involved in leadership positions at the building (peer instructional coach and site chair), district and state level.
“My students' classroom is a reflection of working and learning from talented staff at both our high school and middle school over the past 18 years,” Gehring said. “I strive to prepare our kids to leave our classroom with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to tackle the challenges of everyday and civic life.”
At the Feb. 24 SFAS School Board meeting, Gehring was recognized by the school board for his commitment to excellence through positive and impactful contributions throughout the school district community. View photos from the school board meeting.