This case study was conducted to construct an in-depth description of the ethos, i.e., pattern of orientations and sentiments, of three Iowa teachers who have been selected as state winners in the Teacher of the Year program sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers, Encyclopedia Brittanica, and Good Housekeeping Maagazine. Using an inductive analysis, the report describes the attitudes, values, and beliefs of key individuals who influenced Teachers of the Year in their teaching, and the ecological characteristics of the classroom that influence their attitudes, values, and beliefs. On-site observations, interviews, and artifacts were the data used to generate five empirical assertions about the ethos of the Iowa Teachers of the Year. The ethos of these award-winning teachers may be described as an antithesis of what has been described earlier by researchers as the ethos of the classroom teacher (individual, conservative, and present-oriented). Results from the interpretation of the data revealed that Teachers of the Year: (1) are influenced in their attitudes, values, and beliefs about teaching primarily by their parents; (2) are committed to student success and have high expectations for their students; (3) indicate that support systems are nonexistent in the teaching profession; (4) believe that community expectations contribute to their excellence; and (5) exemplify polite treatment of all students. (Author/LL)