Every year the U.S. Department of Education awards one teacher in each state The Star of Teaching Award. This year's state winner teaches right here in Bowling Green.

WBKO was at Cumberland Trace Elementary when the award was announced today and has a look at the ceremony.

Teachers and students were told they were attending an arts program in the school's gym, but it was actually a surprise ceremony for this year's honoree.

"I don't know where my mind is right now. I'm just so surprised," says Laura Sanders who is Kentucky's 2008 No Child Left Behind American Star of Teaching award winner.

"I went to the gym for an arts and humanities program and walked away an all American teacher," she explains.

Ms. Sanders has been a teacher at Cumberland Trace Elementary long enough to see students graduate and move on to middle school, and two former students say they'll never forget the lessons they learned from their beloved teacher.

"I like Ms. Sanders because when we came into the class one day there were leprechauns, and I thought it was cool," says Fourth Grader Hannah Helf.

Alex Fee adds,"One night we had a teddy bear sleep-over and right before we left school, she told the bear 'Now don't act goofy, and here are the rules.' And she went and wrote them on the board."

It's that creativity that has been Ms. Sanders passion all these years.

"That is one thing that is rewarding about teaching kindergarten," she says. "You see them climb the mountain, and at the end of the year, they'll be at the top."

After more than a decade as colleague and friend, Patrice McCrary nominated Sanders for this year's award.

"I've had the honor and privilege of team teaching with her. This is our 11th year together, and I have never seen anybody who outs more into their teaching or loves her students more than Ms. Sanders does," she explains.

It's that love that defines the heart of a teacher.

"Love. Love the children that come in your door every day," Ms. Sanders advises other educators.

Kentucky was the first state to award its star teacher.