Catherine Caine of Waikiki Elementary School is among four finalists for the 2015 National Teacher of the Year Award.

Teachers from Alabama, Indiana and Texas also are finalists for the award presented by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Catherine Caine teaches second-grade students at Waikiki Elementary. A council press release says Caine has taught at the school since 1992 and some of her work focuses on critical thinking and project-based learning.

Caine also is a mentor teacher and coordinator for teacher development programs at the University of Hawaii and Hawaii Pacific University.

Caine says teaching is a daily joy and intellectual challenge.

The winning teacher will be announced in April and will travel for a year around the nation to represent educators.