The 2026 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year Megan Philbrook made a real difference in her classroom, her social studies class. Project-based learning is part of an awesome teacher’s toolkit. While we may not use it every day, the two or three times a year or a semester that we do will make a huge difference, and it might just change your life like it did for Megan.
Megan worked hard to get her students out of the classroom, and as a result, her students nominated her for New Hampshire Teacher of the Year and got her out of the classroom and onto the awards podium. That is because while we teach a lot of content, it is the projects we do that often create the deepest learning experiences. So when you choose the projects for each class this year, make them count, because the learning will be deep and the experiences can be meaningful. On today’s show, let’s learn how.
“They only have one childhood and they need to know that the adults are in their corner, whether they feel like they’re in their own corner or not.”
Megan Philbrook
2026 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year, Andover Elementary Middle School
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Key Takeaways for Teachers from Megan Philbrook
- “Every single interaction has to be done with such care and even just such intention.” Her fifth graders play rock, paper, scissors to enter the room — thirty seconds that tells every kid this class is a good place to be.
- Reuse last year’s student projects to inspire this year’s students. Megan played her seventh graders’ self-written, self-filmed Ancient Rome play for the third graders — little kids rise toward what the big kids built.
- “Look through the window” at history — and retire the word “we.” We didn’t fight the American Revolution, so her students examine the perspectives of the people who did — a discourse move that takes the heat out of hard history.
- Tap your state’s free resources for America’s 250th. Megan says the training she hosted drew 60 educators representing 51 schools to hear what free semiquincentennial resources their state entities already offer.
Try This Tomorrow
Greet your class at the door with rock, paper, scissors — beat the teacher and walk in; lose and head to the back of the line. One round per student, zero prep, and every kid starts class with a smile and a moment of connection.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
- iCivics — free civics games and lessons; Megan is a member of the iCivics Leadership Academy.
- American Battlefield Trust — field trip grants and teacher institutes, including the National Teachers Institute at Gettysburg.
- National History Day — home of the Silent Heroes project Megan’s students used to research WWII Marine Corps veterans from New Hampshire.
- NH Civics — New Hampshire’s civics education organization.
- New Hampshire Historical Society — state history resources for teachers.
- New Hampshire PBS — free educational programming and classroom resources.
- Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire — place-based Black history education in Portsmouth and beyond.
About Megan Philbrook (Bio as Submitted)
Megan Philbrook is a social studies teacher for grades five through eight at a rural K-8 school in New Hampshire. Philbrook holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and secondary education from Wheaton College. Her course load includes fifth- grade World Citizenship, sixth-grade Ancient Civilizations, seventh-grade World History, and eighth-grade American Studies.
Philbrook is known for her dynamic, student-centered teaching style, which she calls Top Notch Teaching for the 603. Her pedagogy emphasizes connecting classroom content to real-world experiences, encouraging students to engage deeply with history, and understand their role in a democratic society.
In 2025, Philbrook’s commitment to civic education and historical inquiry has been widely recognized. She was awarded an American Battlefield Trust Field Trip Grant, earned a competitive scholarship to attend the National Teacher’s Institute at Gettysburg battlefield, was accepted into the iCivics Leadership Academy, and was selected for the National History Day Silent Heroes project celebrating WWII Marine Corps Veterans from NH.
Beyond her classroom, Philbrook is a dedicated school and community leader. She co-leads Andover Elementary/Middle School’s technology integration team and volunteers at her local library to fundraise and bring literacy initiatives to young readers.
As a historian and educator, Philbrook is currently preparing her school and town to commemorate the United States Semiquincentennial in 2026. She is actively involved in promoting state-level planning for America’s 250th birthday and is leading student-driven civic projects designed to deepen understanding of U.S. history, government, and their active citizenship.
She is honored to serve as the 2026 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year.
Follow Megan on Instagram at @TopNotch603Teaching and on her “NH Teacher of the Year” Facebook fanpage.
Other Shows for Middle School and Social Studies Teachers
- Episode 950 with Debbie Simões — on the power of feeling valued and being a “hope agent” in your school.
- Engagement and Edtech in Social Studies
And every week on my radio/TV show Cool Cat Teacher Talk, I dig into topics like this with multiple educators.
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