The School District of Lee County has named Barbara Rebeor as its 2025 Teacher of the Year.
Rebeor is a science teacher at Harns Marsh Middle School in Lehigh Acres.
The superintendent, district leaders, staff and students all gathered in her classroom to surprise her with the honor Wednesday.
“It's really nice that it's recognized. It's also very humbling and a little overwhelming,” Rebeor said after receiving the award.
Rebeor has been teaching for 20 years now and has earned other awards before, like the Golden Apple.
But what makes her successful is that she doesn’t lean only on that experience.
She knows students are not the only ones who can grow at school.
“Truly, every year, I get more excited. I get more inspired by the kids. I'm always trying to learn more,” Rebeor said. “And it's the people that I'm surrounded with that really keep that going for me, too. And the kids themselves.”
Those kids – her students – can feel her passion. She’s found a way to make middle school science engaging.
“She makes it interesting,” student Ryan Emile said. “So you, like, you get it stuck in your mind. And then, like, when it's time to take the test, you have it. You have it down.”
While it’s Rebeor who’s getting the honor, the longtime teacher is crediting others for her success. She’s the teacher of the year – and a humble one, at that.
“This isn’t so much me, this is absolutely a team effort,” Rebeor said. “I'm representing all the teachers in this district, all the teachers at the school, who care about kids and just want the best for them. And try their hardest every single day to help every child achieve.”