High school teacher Rebecka Peterson recognizes that it’s rare for students to be taught by a biracial, bilingual female in mathematics.

That’s one reason why — as Oklahoma’s Teacher of the Year, and now National Teacher of the Year — she’s lifting up her identity as a Swedish-Iranian immigrant.

Peterson tells Here & Now‘s Deepa Fernandes about how she’s using her moment in the spotlight to help fellow teachers struggling through unprecedented challenges find the good in each day.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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