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National Conference in Minneapolis • November 12-15, 2025
The Heart of Education: Why Community Matters in the Classroom
Thursday, November 13 • 9:30-10:30 AM
Speaker: Michael Houston
About the Session
From 5th-grade valedictorian to a high school graduate struggling with literacy, and ultimately the first in his family to earn a college degree, Michael Houston’s educational journey reflects the struggles and triumphs that resonate with so many students today. In this powerful keynote, the 2023 Minnesota Teacher of the Year shares moving stories—both his own and those of his students—to highlight how building community in the classroom can support students' mental health, deepen their engagement with course content, and spark post-secondary aspirations. By reflecting on his experiences, Michael illustrates how education transformed his life and inspired him to become the teacher he once needed.
Michael Houston
Michael Houston is a mathematics teacher at Harding High School in the St. Paul Public School District #625, where he teaches Algebra 2 and Integrated Math. A proud first-generation college graduate, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Concordia University, St. Paul. Raised in a single-parent household—with the strong support of his beloved grandparents—Houston continued to defy expectations, completing a Master’s in Education from Hamline University in 2011.
Now in his 21st year at Harding, Houston has also served as a dedicated football coach for 18 seasons, 10 of them as head coach. One of his proudest professional achievements is returning to his alma mater as an adjunct professor. For the past eight years, he has taught math to future elementary educators, both online and in person.
Respected deeply by his colleagues, Houston serves as chair of the mathematics department, a member of the Harding Leadership Team, and is active in educator advocacy—as a building steward, a member of the Saint Paul Federation of Educators Executive Board, and a representative on Education Minnesota’s Governing Board. He was honored as Harding’s Teacher of the Year in 2016, which led to his nomination and selection as a finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2017. In 2023, he was awarded the state’s highest teaching honor.
Houston’s teaching philosophy centers on building strong classroom communities. In response to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the persistent inequities affecting the students he serves, he has worked to integrate financial literacy into his math curriculum—using it as a tool to help close wealth, opportunity, and achievement gaps.