Christian Teacher of the Year: April Ellis teaches first graders to ‘do hard things,’ learning phonics, math facts, self-control  

When first grade students in April Ellis’ class say, “My neurons are growing,” she knows they just conquered a challenging concept, and she always responds, “Yes, they are!”

“I have a big sign in my class that says you can do hard things, and so I always like to teach my students learning is actually hard. It’s hard work,” says the teacher, who is one of 12 instructors awarded 2026 Christian Teacher of the Year honors by the Herzog Foundation, publisher of Heartlander News. 

Ellis explains to her students that when things are “tricky” their brains are working extra hard.

“That’s how God designed you,” she tells students. “So, God designed you that your neurons are growing right now, because that [task] was hard and tricky.”

Ellis teaches first grade at Valley Christian School in Tempe, Arizona, where she has worked for seven years after deciding to enroll her children in private education. 

“I came through my kids,” she said. “I expected to work at the public school down the street from my house when I went back to work, but the Lord just opened the right doors for me. I love being in private school because you get the privilege of making it Christ-centered in everything, in all of your academics.”

Christian education has greatly impacted her kids, Ellis said, noting the numerous teachers her grown children still text and reconnect with even after graduation.

“I had no idea the magnitude that that influence of Christian school teachers would have on my own personal kids,” she said.

In her classroom, Ellis said she loves the first graders because she can watch their young minds expand in their ability to read so quickly in such a short amount of time.

“My heart is being able to see littles go from barely reading ‘the cat and dog,’ and all of a sudden they’re reading chapter books. I love it. They’re my people,” she said, adding, “they still think I’m funny.”

As she watched kids learn to read, Ellis became interested in “the science of reading,” which she said is “a theory on strong phonics.” Phonics breaks words into letter pairings, vowel sets, and unique sounds to help students tackle unfamiliar words.

“It’s teaching everybody really good phonics, and so because of that you’re teaching them the code, so that they can actually read,” Ellis explained.

Other approaches to reading instruction suggest students should just learn whole words, holding that phonics slows down the process. But research is proving the effectiveness of phonics, she said.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellis noticed a drop in literacy since rising first graders essentially lost the critical final quarter of kindergarten. Additionally, a surge of students began attending Valley Christian School as one of the few schools open following the start of the pandemic.

Beyond reading, Ellis ensures learning always keeps the kids engaged. She introduces movement, memory chants and songs, and hands-on activities to spark the students’ curiosity, she said.

“I always like to say, ‘I’m not strict, I’m structured,’” she said.

But learning isn’t only books and math facts. It’s also life skills and character development, such as self-control, Ellis said. When kids are frustrated, Ellis said she teaches them to “smell the pizza,” taking deep breaths to calm themselves down before tackling the problem.

“I want strong academics, but I also want to teach them like how to live as people who love Jesus. God helps us in those moments,” she said. “I always do a chapel on the fruits of the spirit too. So, we talk often about that, because we have the Holy Spirit in us, we can do hard things that not everybody can do.”

The Christian Teacher of the Year honor is part of the Herzog Foundation’s Excellence in Christian Education award series. Each of the 12 winners was invited to attend a special professional development and recognition event.