The Utah Education Association (UEA) proudly announces that Sayre Posey, an 8th-grade U.S. History teacher at Northwest Middle School in the Salt Lake School District, has been named Utah Teacher of the Year for 2025. This incredible achievement reflects Posey’s dedication to her students, innovative teaching methods, and passion for making history relevant and engaging.
Sayre Posey engages her students with rigorous and culturally relevant project-based learning. This approach has not only captured her students' attention but has also led to them winning awards at both regional and state levels for their National History Day projects. Posey’s work proves that history, when taught creatively and rigorously, can inspire students to achieve great things.
"Sayre’s commitment to her students and her innovative approach to teaching history are truly inspiring. She truly exemplifies what it means to be a great teacher," said UEA President Renée Pinkney. "We are so proud to have another UEA and Salt Lake Education Association member honored as Utah’s Teacher of the Year."
With eight years of teaching experience, Posey's background includes working in Baltimore City Public Schools and developing literacy-based social studies instruction. She's committed to eliminating educational inequities and has presented on literacy strategies for social justice teaching.
Posey earned a Bachelor of Arts in History Education with endorsements in social studies, ESL and education technology. She is currently pursuing a master of education and is a classically trained violinist. Her upcoming research study is titled "The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Student Attitudes towards History."