Luis Durán, a 6th-8th-grade Special Education cluster class teacher at Talcott Fine Arts & Museum Academy in Chicago, Illinois is the recipient of our December 2025 Honored National Teaching Award. He was nominated for this award by his student, Kenny, and Kenny’s mother, Kimberlee. Joining Luis in this episode are Kenny and Kimbelee.

You'll hear about:

- Luis Durán's journey to becoming a teacher.

- The impact Luis has had on Kenny and his family.

- Luis's dedication to creating an inclusive and encouraging environment for his students.

- Luis's passion for making learning fun and interactive.

You'll also hear from award-winning journalist Walter Ray Watson, Jr. He shares about a teacher who left an incredible impact on their journey in our segment "Teachers Who Inspired". He has produced and reported news stories, features, and specials for more than three decades with NPR. He launched NPR’s Code Switch podcast that explores race, identity, and culture. Walter previously produced the weekend broadcasts of NPR’s All Things Considered.

He is the recipient of a Peabody Award and several Salute to Excellence Awards from the National Association of Black Journalists, most recently, for a feature co-reported with correspondent Debbie Elliott in 2024, among other honors. He began his career writing about arts and culture for The New Pittsburgh Courier in Pennsylvania. Walter earned his Bachelor of Arts in English writing from the University of Pittsburgh and was a 2008 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.

Links Mentioned:

- Read more about Luis Durán's story: https://www.honored.org/honoree/luis-duran

- Nominate a teacher for our Honored National Teaching Award: https://www.honored.org/nominate/

- Read the incredible nomination for Luis Durán: https://www.honored.org/nominees/luis-duran/

- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honored/

- Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@honoredteachers

- Follow us on X: https://x.com/honored/

- Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honored.org/

- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honored.org

Episode Music Credits:

- Music by DanaMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/danamusic-31920663/

- Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/