''Woooooooooooooooooo!" Kern yelled for for several seconds after learning he won the Utah 2008 No Child Left Behind American Star of Teaching award. One teacher in each state each year wins the award, which recognizes those who improve academic performance and make a difference in students' lives.

As a first-grade teacher who taught students struggling to read last school year, Kern brought energy and excitement to the classroom, his co-workers said. He also worked as an afterschool tutor and helped improve the school's library.

"It wasn't that [my students] were always right where the standards said they should be, but they were making progress," Kern said. "They were feeling confident. It was just helping them to believe in themselves."

One of Kern's former students, Gabby Paslay, demonstrated that confidence at the award assembly Thursday.

In front of her teachers, district officials and all the school's students, the second-grader read a speech she wrote.

"Mister Kern is funny. That's why I like him," Paslay read. "The most important thing that he taught me was how to read."

Fourth-grade teacher Claudia Jex praised Kern's dedication and energy even in the face of adversity. Last school year, Kern had a baby boy who was born prematurely, weighing only 1 pound 15 ounces at birth. The little boy, Neal, is now healthy, and Kern said he got through those months by praying.

"He would get up early in the morning to go to [the hospital in] Orem then come to school and teach," Jex said.

Hundreds of teachers in Utah and about 5,000 teachers nationwide were nominated for the awards, said Carolyn Snowbarger, director of the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative with the U.S. Department of Education. She said Kern's nomination stood out.

"You could see he was working to see what the need of each student was," Snowbarger said. "One-size-fits-all wasn't good enough for Mister Kern."

Snowbarger said this is the second time a Rees Elementary teacher has won the award since 2004 - something Snowbarger said she can't remember happening anywhere else.

Kern, who taught for seven years, is now working as an instructional coach at the district, but he said returning to Rees felt like coming home.

"The years we had Mister Kern with us were years we were elevated as a school," said Principal Mike Larsen. "Our focus on student learning has never been stronger."