Being called to the principal’s office is not usually a prelude to good news, but it was a wonderful surprise for Locust Valley Middle School teacher Ann Monsees. On that winter day, Monsees learned that she be nominated for New York State’s Teacher of the Year award for 2026.
Monsees has spent her entire 23-year teaching career in the Locust Valley Central School District and the last 13 years in the middle school, and in that time, she has become known for her excellent rapport with students and her willingness to try new ways to make them comfortable in the classroom.
As one of three teachers in her immediate family, Monsees often discusses new methods of getting the most out of students. Part of that has been her inclusion of flexible seating options, including standing tables, floor seating, bouncy-ball chairs and regular desks since 2018. Encouraged by her sister Mary, who was also nominated for Teacher of the Year in Florida, Monsees read up on how flexible seating can enhance teacher-student interactions, foster peer learning and accommodate different learning styles.
“I love the challenges that you face in sixth grade,” Monsees said. “The students are coming to a new building with new lockers and making friends from both sides of town. I find all of that so exciting, and helping them along that journey – the academic and social – is unique to the middle school.”
Monsees has also become well-known for her exciting hands-on activities that connect to the course material and teach students life lessons. Over the last few years, she has held a day where students design their own kites and fly them through the air during their weather unit in science class. This past year, she and the rest of the sixth-grade teachers held a camp-themed day where students caught up on their reading of “The Adventures of Ulysses,” in tents, wrote stories after fishing for parts of speech prompts and used teamwork to create shelters out of connecting rods and cones. She credits her peers – teachers and administrators – for collaborating with her and helping exciting ideas make it to the classroom. Her efforts extend to extracurriculars, as she started the civics-minded “The Fifty Nifty Club” focused on improving knowledge of American geography and regional facts. Monsees has invited middle school students in Half Hollow Hills and Jericho to collaborate with the club’s members.
“Ms. Monsees believes that learning should be engaging, relevant and personalized, and designs innovative lessons that seamlessly integrate real-world problem solving,” Locust Valley Middle School Principal Michael Cestaro said. “Her commitment to her students, their parents and her colleagues is nothing short of inspirational. Her care, compassion and positivity have allowed her to become an invaluable asset to our school community.”