National Teacher of the Year to Speak at 2008 Celebration of Teaching

TAHLEQUAH Northeastern State University College of Education will host the National Teacher of the Year Andrea Peterson during the 2008 Celebration of Teaching on Thursday, Feb. 21 at the NSU Center for Performing Arts. Former NSU instructor and Oklahomas 2008 Teacher of the Year Stephanie Canada is also a featured speaker at the event.

Educators and students will have a chance to meet phenomenal current and future educators, learn new ways of teaching and take home exciting ideas about teaching and learning, said Dr. Christee Jenlink, assistant dean of the NSU College of Education. These talented educators have agreed to share their expertise with participants at our annual event honoring the teaching profession.

Peterson, a music teacher at Monte Cristo Elementary School in Granite Falls, Washington, is the 57th National Teacher of the Year. She was born in Invermere, British Columbia, Canada, and became a permanent resident of the U.S. in 1981. She gained citizenship in 2004, saying her greatest motivation in doing so was to be a political advocate for education, one who could vote for initiatives, such as school district finance levies, that she supported and promoted.

Peterson received bachelors degrees in music education and arts music from the University of Washington in 1996, graduating cum laude. She was the first National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) in early and middle childhood music in the state of Washington. After receiving her certification, she became a NBCT facilitator and liaison coordinator for Washington, encouraging other educators to advocate policy changes in education. She is also actively involved with the Northwest Wind Symphony, which is made up of professional educators, musicians, and community leaders in the greater Washington and Oregon area.

In addition to these outstanding educators, the Celebration of Teaching will also honor area district teachers of the year and National Board Certified teachers. Workshops are planned throughout the afternoon for students from area school districts who are considering teaching as a profession, covering a variety of subject areas like art, math and music.

The 2008 Celebration of Teaching is sponsored by the NSU Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force and Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society for Education through a grant funded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Minority Teacher Recruitment Center.

2/14/2008

Published: 2008-02-14 00:00:00