Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance is proud to highlight Rebecka Peterson, the 2023 National Teacher of the Year. As a math teacher at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Rebecka has been an inspiration to her students and fellow educators alike.

With 11 years of experience teaching high school math classes, ranging from intermediate algebra to Advanced Placement calculus, Rebecka has a deep passion for teaching and a talent for inspiring her students to excel. She firmly believes in storytelling’s power to inspire and motivate, and she brings this passion to her teaching, using stories to help her students connect with the material and stay engaged.

Rebecka’s commitment to teaching was solidified during her difficult first year in the profession. Through her struggles, she found solace and inspiration in the “One Good Thing” blog, where she began posting daily to recognize the positive experiences in her classroom. Since then, she has contributed over 1,400 posts to the blog, and she continues to use the power of positivity to motivate her students and fellow educators.

As National Teacher of the Year, Rebecka plans to use her platform to highlight the stories of joy and positivity in education. She believes that by sharing these stories, she can encourage current teachers and attract new educators to the profession, inspiring them to positively impact their students’ lives.

Rebecka’s own experiences as an immigrant of Swedish-Iranian descent, living in several countries around the world, inform her efforts to create a supportive and accessible classroom for all students. She values listening to her students’ stories as a way to better understand and elevate their voices.

Rebecka holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Oklahoma Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of South Dakota. She lives in Tulsa with her husband and son and enjoys reading, crafting, and playing board games.

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