25 Years of Teaching Excellence: Dr. Melissa Collins of Memphis

At the John P. Freeman Optional School in Memphis, Tennessee, the measure of a great teacher isn't found in a single lesson plan or a standout school year. For Dr. Melissa Collins, it's the product of 25 years of showing up—curious, committed, and attuned to what each child in her classroom needs.

Collins was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 2020, and in 2023 she was named Tennessee's Teacher of the Year. The honors reflect a philosophy she has refined over decades: that a classroom should be a place where students feel safe enough to explore their potential, and where a teacher's job is to meet them where they are.

"I'm learning that it's important to make sure that they feel safe and that they have an opportunity to explore their potential," Collins said. "I'm learning it's important to bring joy to the classroom."

She describes her classroom as a unique environment—one where innovation isn't an exception but an expectation. In her view, tapping into students' curiosity and creativity isn't optional; it's the core of the work.

That sense of purpose has roots closer to home. Her father, Stanley Collins, built his own career as a teacher and coach at Whitehaven High School, not far from where his daughter has spent her career. He watched her path unfold with quiet pride.

"It's been very satisfying to me to know that she would have an interest in being a teacher," he said. "Melissa is a hero because she got a good heart."

Stanley Collins describes his daughter's approach as firm but gentle—someone who digs into who a child is and what that child needs, then delivers it. "When you think about the teacher that you want for your child in any environment, you want Dr. Melissa Collins," he said.

After a quarter century in the classroom, Collins continues to frame her work not as something she does for students, but as something she learns alongside them—a distinction that may say more about her than any award.