When Emily Dawes talks about teaching, she doesn’t frame it as a job or even a career. To her, it’s a calling.
Dawes, a finalist for 2026 North Dakota Teacher of the Year and a member of the Grand Forks Education Association, traces that calling back to her own childhood.
“As a little girl, I struggled to read, and I stuttered,” she said. “There were a lot of opportunities for me to feel really bad about myself, because I wasn’t like the kids who could just read. But my special education teachers made me feel like I could do it — and that’s what I want for every student I teach.”
Returning to the Classroom With New Purpose
That desire to help students feel capable and seen has guided Dawes throughout her career.
After teaching for several years, she stepped away from the classroom to raise her four children. When she returned, she did so with a renewed sense of purpose — and a willingness to question her own practice.
“When I came back, I realized I didn’t actually know how to teach kids to read,” she said. “Why would you ever want to be a teacher and not be effective?”
Quote byEmily Dawes , Teacher of the Year finalist
Embracing the Science of Reading
That realization became a turning point. Dawes pursued a master’s degree in reading education and began embracing the Science of Reading, an evidence-based approach to literacy instruction grounded in how the brain learns.
“There are kids you can stick in a closet and they’ll come out reading,” she said with a laugh. “But a lot of kids need explicit instruction. The Science of Reading gives every child that chance.”
Supporting Literacy Across Classrooms
This year, Dawes transitioned from teaching first grade at Kelly Elementary to serving as a literacy specialist at Lake Agassiz Elementary in Grand Forks. In her new role, she works alongside other educators to strengthen reading instruction across classrooms.
“I wasn’t really motivated to leave the classroom,” she said. “I just felt a door open, and I stepped through it. Now I feel like I’m sitting in my calling.”
Joy, Music and Meaningful Learning
Students and colleagues describe Dawes as joyful, encouraging and endlessly positive — a teacher who treats laughter as a learning tool and isn’t afraid to sing her way through the school day.
“I sing about everything,” she said. “Transitions, lessons — if the kids look like they’re about to fall asleep, I might start singing.”
An Underdog Story Worth Telling
When Dawes was named Grand Forks Teacher of the Year and selected as a finalist for North Dakota Teacher of the Year, her first response was disbelief.
“The little girl who could hardly read — how could it be me?” she said. “Maybe it’s a good story for the underdog. Maybe one of those little girls I work with who struggles with reading will be Teacher of the Year someday.”
