Melissa Kiefer, Dual Credit English Instructor at Fairfield Community High School, inspires her students to dream big despite all odds. To prove it, she wants to become the first deaf teacher to win the America’s Favorite Teacher national contest. She also wants to show America that small, rural schools matter. Kiefer, who started teaching in 2009, views this career as her calling and has remained passionate and enthusiastic through progressive hearing loss, cochlear implant surgery in 2020, and stapedectomy ear surgery in 2022. Even with her hearing devices and assistive technology, she still lip reads and constantly adapts her methods and techniques in the classroom to continue doing the job she loves. She states, “There is no way I should be able to do what I do, but God’s grace is sufficient for me. I know His strength is glorified through my weakness.”
Out of what started as hundreds of candidates in her group, Kiefer is currently ranked #3 in the Top 5 Group Finals. Grateful to the community and former and current students who got her this far (with a special shout-out to Fusion Coffee), she must be in first place before Thursday, April 3rd, at 9:00 to advance to the Quarterfinals. You can learn more about Melissa, the contest, and vote through the following link: https://americasfavteacher.org/2025/melissa-kiefer
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