COLUMBUS, Ohio—Dempsey Middle School teacher Jon Kelley never set out to be Teacher of the Year.

• Delaware teacher Jon Kelley was named Instructure Teacher of the Year
• He was recognized for facilitating in unconventional ways, engaging students, and letting them lead their learning
• He was one of 6 from across the U.S. who won the award from education tech giant Instructure

In fact, his main goal has as a teacher has just been to facilitate, empower students and push them to grow—all while having fun.

But it's been his specific approach to teaching and getting kids to learn that snagged him and five others from across the country a Teacher of the Year award.

Anytime you're in his class, you have to let your eyes and ears tell you what you can't see.

Mission impossible—not by a long shot.

But facilitating experiments using problem solving skills is one way the former sixth grade science teacher gets kids tuned in, tuned up and thinking — thinking how classroom challenges can become solutions that impact everyone.

One of those learning-based projects included helping students to create an idle-free zone for parents while they're waiting to pick up their kids.

"And any time you can connect what's happening inside the classroom to a real-world problem outside the classroom, then you're gonna have really motivated learners,” said Kelley. “They see the purpose and the why factor and then, plus, you tie in some fun elements as well...and it becomes a really special environment."

An environment fit for learning, which has helped students like Anna Albrecht learn on her own, at her pace.

"So, it helped me like see what I learn best at, and if we didn't learn best at one thing, then were allowed to do the other option," said Albrecht, 7^th grader.

Ivan Hedges used to dread coming to school, and when he did, he stayed to himself. 

"Usually I'd wake up and like I uhhh...I have to go to school again,” said Hedges. 

“But because I was in Mr. Kelley's first core, I was like, sweet, I have Mr. Kelley's first which was always kind of fun...because I think he's a really cool teacher."

But using the personalized learning model helped him to gain confidence, build new relationships and come out of his shell, so that he could work in groups too.

"I would be working on something for geometry and this other person would come over and look at the stone too and would end up in a conversation," said Hedges. "If I wasn't pushed out of my comfort zone like that I definitely would have...not had like pretty much any friends in that class."

It's been Kelley's powerful combination of facilitating in unconventional ways, engaging students, and letting them lead their learning, that caught the eye of education tech giant Instructure. 

The company recently recognized Kelley and five others from around the country for their work in shaping the next generation of students—naming them the 2019 Teachers of the Year.

"It's a tremendous honor to be recognized like that, but it means to me that I'm a part of a great team," said Kelley.

A team that has now promoted him as a coach to help teachers in the same way.

"They've struggled with implementing a certain concept or a certain strategy and now I'm able to be there with them and kind of coach them and have those discussions,” said Kelley. “And it's already kind of neat to see their aha moment."

Kelley taught for eight years and says it was bitter sweet leaving the classroom. 

"Yeah...to uhhh...come out of the classroom...was ... it was hard...yeah," said Kelley.

But now he says he gets the thrill of watching teachers and students grow in every classroom, while giving them a reason a to get up, get to class, and solve the next problem of the day.