Napoleon Ag Teacher Brian Schneider named North Dakota Teacher of the Year
NDSU alumnus and Napoleon Ag Teacher Brian Schneider was recently named North Dakota’s 2027 Teacher of the Year.
Now in his 41st year of teaching, Schneider didn’t always dream of teaching, but ultimately, being an agriculture teacher became his dream job.
Schneider, grew up on a farm but wouldn’t have the option to return to the farm after high school; his high school agriculture teacher, Wade Anderson, urged him to pursue a degree in agricultural education.
“He said get the degree, and if I didn’t enjoy teaching, it would still open doors in the agricultural field, and that sounded pretty good,” Schneider said. “He was a fresh graduate out of NDSU, and he came to Harvey High School when I was a junior in 1980. I thought he did an awesome job for the two years I had him, and I attribute a lot of my career to him. I really never would have pursued education had it not been for him.”
Schneider attended NDSU from 1982-86, earning a degree in agricultural education and a minor in general science.
“I felt really good about the education I received at NDSU,” he said. “They had two veteran ag educators at the time when I went through the program, and they did a good job in the educational classes. I had a very well-rounded agricultural background.”
Upon graduating, Schneider still wasn’t sure if teaching was a career he would stick with, but took a job teaching in Cando, North Dakota.
“After I started teaching and had two or three years in, I thought maybe my teacher was right; this was probably what I was meant to do,” he said.
Schneider taught in Cando for 5 years before taking the role in Napoleon, where he has taught grades 7-12 in agricultural education courses for the past 35 years. He enjoys getting to know and building relationships with each student in his classes, whether they’re from ranches and farms or have no agricultural background.
“When you build relationships with kids, they work hard for you, and they try to do the best that they can with whatever we’re covering at the time,” Schneider said. “I have a genuine love and interest in each of the students I have, and I just work at making those connections.”
In his classes, Schneider provides hands-on activities to teach subjects like food science, small engine repair, basic electrical wiring, carpentry, metalworking and plant propagation. However, beyond curriculum, he also focuses on teaching students work ethic, integrity and dedication.
Additionally, he is an FFA leader who has helped Napoleon’s FFA chapter earn more than 150 state individual and team championships, three national championships in the Agricultural Sales Career Development Event and numerous top 10 national finishes.
That impact led several Napoleon FFA alumni to help raise money to develop new agriculture facilities for the Napoleon School. The alumni raised over $1 million, and the school contributed $550k to help develop the new space, which includes a meats lab, greenhouse, large shop, food science lab and lots of storage.
When announcing Schneider as North Dakota’s 2027 Teacher of the Year, State Superintendent Levi Bachmeier, who has watched Schneider teach, shared the educator’s impact.
“Brian Schneider’s work reflects the commitment and student-focused mindset that define North Dakota’s Best educators,” Bachmeier said. “What stands out isn’t just what he teaches, but how he teaches. His humility, sincere care for students and passion for agricultural education are evident in everything he does. That combination makes a lasting, positive impact on the students he serves; North Dakota needs more veteran teachers like Schneider.”
Describing the announcement as very humbling, Schneider shared, “I still just think of myself as someone who found what they love to do and I love to come to work every day.”
When news spread about the honor, Schneider heard from past students congratulating and thanking him dating back to his time in Cando.
“It makes a guy emotional to think that they remember you from that long ago,” he said. “It definitely speaks for the impact that not only I had, but that teachers have in general.”
In addition to being named 2027 North Dakota Teacher of the Year, Schneider was recently awarded the 2026 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, which provides a $50,000 prize to Napoleon Public School and a $25,000 award to Schneider.