Kathleen Sheehy, 29, a first-grade teacher at J. Hyde Elementary School, was recently named D.C.’s 2008 Teacher of the Year. Sheehy has been teaching at Hyde — a pre-K through fifth-grade campus in its 100th year — since earning a master’s degree from New York University in 2003.

What inspired you to come to D.C. Public Schools?

I really wanted to teach in D.C. schools because I saw a big need for quality teaching and instruction. When I got to the area, I looked at all the other school districts. But in the end I wasn’t interested in working in one of the thriving suburbs. I thought I could really make a difference in D.C. ... Then ... I found out Hyde was beginning readers/writers workshops, so I sent a letter to the principal. In the end, it was a perfect match.

So far, what’s been a favorite teaching moment?

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Well, in general first grade is a very magical year where there are a lot of first experiences. ... That moment when a child fully believes they’re a reader, that’s a moment a teacher can really feel. To see that look in their eyes and to hear that pride in their voice is simply amazing.

As lead teacher for the Teachers Institute Writing Project, what’s your role?

The project is a movement to bring writing and reading projects to D.C. because it’s such a high-quality program. Being a lead teacher, I get to welcome different teachers from around the city to my classroom and to visit their classrooms to demonstrate how I teach literacy. Then I follow up with them during the year. ... I feel like I’ve had at least a dozen different schools come to see me. It’s exciting for the teachers to see positive instruction in action and to realize, “Wow, this is possible.”