Haverford history teacher Leon Smith was named the National Teacher of the Year

Longtime Haverford High School history teacher Leon Smith, who brought African American studies to the school and is known as a mentor to students, was named the National Teacher of the Year on Tuesday.

Smith appeared Tuesday on CBS Mornings, where the award was first announced — and where Smith, who coaches freshman boys’ basketball at Haverford, was also surprised with a visit from basketball great Julius Erving.

“You gotta be kidding me right now,” Smith said, as the show’s hosts brought out Erving after Smith had recounted admiring Dr. J as a child.

Smith, who previously won the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Award through the Council of Chief State School Officers program, has taught at Haverford High for 25 years. He currently teaches AP U.S. History and AP African American Studies.

» READ MORE: This Haverford teacher didn’t have Black role models in school. Now he’s a finalist for National Teacher of the Year.

Smith. who is Black, has said he was motivated to become a teacher in part to be the type of mentor he didn’t have growing up attending Upper Dublin schools.

The recognition as National Teacher of the Year “just means everything,” Smith said on CBS. “I just have so much reverence for the teaching profession.”

In an interview Wednesday in between classes at Haverford, Smith — who found out he won last month but had to keep the news a secret — said the recognition has made him reflect on inspiring teachers he’s met throughout his career.

“I want to make sure I am presenting an image of a teacher that they would be proud of,” said Smith, who had fielded congratulatory visits from former students to his classroom that morning.

He hopes his passion will draw more people into the profession — to “make them curious, and inspire them to think about the career of education.”

This is the second year in a row that a Pennsylvania teacher has won the national award; last year Ashlie Crosson, an English teacher from Lewistown in Central Pennsylvania, was named the winner.

“Leon Smith is an exemplar of the excellent educators we have in schools across the state; educators who inspire, lead, encourage, and shape the next generation of learners and global citizens,” Pennsylvania Education Secretary Carrie Rowe said in a statement.

Matthew Hayes, the superintendent of Haverford, said in a statement that Smith’s “passion for the role of high-quality, representative teachers in public education is evident in his daily interactions. For over 20 years, he has been inspiring students, colleagues, and community members with his passion for what he teaches and the students who learn from him.”

“We’re thrilled that the rest of the state and country will now have the opportunity to learn from Leon,” Hayes said.

The award will allow Smith to spend a year traveling the country promoting the teaching profession.

Smith, who has already been involved in efforts to recruit more teachers and diversify the profession, said on CBS that making an impact on students is often about letting them know “that you care.”

“It’s not always the content, but it’s how you make the students feel,” he said.