TESOL International Association Names 2026 TESOL Teacher of the Year
TESOL International Association (TESOL) is pleased to announce Rashad Ahmed as the recipient of the 2026 TESOL Teacher of the Year Award, which recognizes exceptional English language teaching at all levels. Ahmed will be formally honored at the TESOL 2026 International Convention & Expo, March 24-27, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Ahmed, an associate professor of TESOL and linguistics at Jacksonville State University and a Fulbright alumnus, earned his doctorate from the University of Memphis. His teaching, research, and professional development leadership have been recognized through prestigious awards at local, regional, and international levels. In addition to these accomplishments, Ahmed contributes to the profession through editorial and scholarly service, including his role as senior editor of the International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, his numerous peer-reviewed articles, and a scholarly volume on ICT-based informal language learning.
Ahmed reimagined traditional composition pedagogy with his multimodal argumentation project, which integrates collaborative digital planning, ethical technology use, and culturally responsive assessment within a cohesive learning experience. For example, students begin by analyzing published opinion pieces to identify audience awareness strategies and evidence selection techniques. They then work in small groups using Lucid Whiteboard to create visual blueprints for individual arguments
"I am honored beyond words. This award belongs to my students, whose resilience continually reshapes my understanding of language and humanity, and to the teachers who quietly change lives by believing in voices the world too often overlooks,” said Ahmed.