Gravette Middle School has selected Brad Leach as Teacher of the Year for the 2025-2026 school year. He was nominated by colleagues for making science approachable, supporting new teachers, and for engaging lessons where students are empowered. Brad Leach teaches middle school science, where his classroom is well known for hands-on experiments and project-based learning that bring complex concepts to life.
Brad Leach grew up in Germantown, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis, and graduated high school in 1996. He went on to earn a degree in finance from the University of Tennessee before entering education later in his career. He taught middle school in Heber Springs starting in 2018, then in Siloam Springs before finding a home at Gravette Middle School in 2020. Leach approaches middle school science with the goal of reaching both students who already enjoy the subject and those who have yet to discover it.
Mr. Leach leading in air-pressure-powered Water Bottle Rocket experiments
Classroom instruction with Mr. Leach often involves hands-on activities and live demonstrations of the subjects. Students don’t just study genetics, they breed fruit flies. They don’t just learn about momentum and energy, they build water bottle rockets and mousetrap cars. They don’t just look at charts to understand electromagnetic frequencies, they build working radios from scratch. “I often get bored doing the same projects every year so I am always looking for ways to improve and expand what we do. But the beauty of science is that there is an unlimited amount of ideas and projects to choose from.”
Mr. Leach demonstrating how to measure the altitude of water bottle rockets to find the winning experiment
Mr. Leach focuses on creating an environment where students feel supported as they work through new concepts. “I love it when I hear a student say ‘I am not good at science’ at the beginning of the year and then they start to do well and their confidence grows and they become like a totally different kid.”
Mr. Leach leading students in an experiment involving a scratch-built radio receiving live transmissions
Leach said he is proud to be named Teacher of the Year at Gravette Middle School, while also expressing appreciation for his grade-level team and the support around him. “Our 8th grade team is fantastic and Randall Reynolds is a great team leader and has always been there for me when I need help. And I have a fantastic support team that enables me to do my job.”
Gravette Middle School is proud to recognize Brad Leach as Teacher of the Year following his recent eligibility for the honor. His classroom blends structured and rigorous content with hands-on experiences that keep students engaged in learning. The district looks forward to seeing the continued growth of his classroom and the new activities and experiments he will bring to students in the years ahead.
