Findlay City Schools teacher and UF alumna and adjunct professor Deborah Wickerham has been named the 2008 Ohio Teacher of the Year by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).

Marilyn Troyer, ODE’s senior associate superintendent of educational programs, made the surprise announcement Dec. 12 at a Chamberlin Hill Intermediate School assembly before students, school faculty and guests. Troyer presented Wickerham with a certificate and praised her – and her colleagues – for their dedication to the teaching profession.

“I commend every single teacher here for the path you’ve chosen in life,” Troyer said. “There’s nothing more important than helping every child succeed. And our new Teacher of the Year is leading the way,” Troyer added.

Troyer applauded Wickerham for her outstanding work in the classroom.

“Good teachers are the key to a quality education,” Troyer said. “Deborah’s passion for the classroom and devotion to her students is setting the standard for teaching in Findlay and throughout the state.”

Wickerham has been a teacher for 32 years. Since 1992, she has been at Chamberlin Hill, and is currently teaching both deaf and hearing children in her fifth-grade inclusion classroom. She teaches all subjects except mathematics.

In 2001, Wickerham achieved National Board Certification, widely accepted as the highest credential in the teaching profession. She recruits and helps other teachers achieve National Board Certification as a facilitator and mentor.

She has received numerous awards and recognition for her teaching including: the Presidential Award for Elementary Science Excellence; Vernier National Science Teacher of the Year; Rotary Golden Apple award; Jaycee Teacher of the Year; and, in 2007, the VFW Regional Teacher of the Year.

In addition to her regular duties at Chamberlin Hill, she spends many after-school hours tutoring students who struggle with homework, organizational skills and test preparation.

Since 1999, Wickerham also has been an adjunct professor in middle childhood science at The University of Findlay, using her skills, best practices and insight to help prepare future teachers. She lends her expertise to her profession through service on the Ohio Resource Center Science Review Board and the McGraw-Hill National/State Science Advisory Board and by serving as a Northwest Ohio Science/Mathematics facilitator and teacher. She is an international, national, regional and state science presenter.

Deborah Wickerham has a master’s degree in educational leadership from The University of Findlay, and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education/deaf education from Bowling Green State University.

The Ohio Teacher of the Year serves as a spokesperson for Ohio teachers; makes public appearances and speeches across the state during the school year while still serving as a classroom teacher; attends statewide education meetings; provides state or local workshops in her area of expertise, and responds to educational issues from education groups, policymakers and the media.

The 2008 Ohio Teacher of the Year was selected from nominations submitted by schools across the state. Nominations were reviewed by a statewide review panel composed of representatives from a wide range of professional organizations and school constituencies, including community and business representatives, elementary and secondary administrators, principals and teachers – including teachers who have been recognized for their excellent performance in the classroom.

The Ohio Teacher of the Year program was initiated by ODE in 1969 to honor and promote excellence in teaching and the teaching profession and to build a network of exemplary teachers who are leaders in school improvement initiatives. All Ohio school districts and chartered nonpublic schools are invited to nominate outstanding teachers who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership to classroom, school and community activities.

Wickerham will succeed George Edge, a high school music teacher at Grove City High School, South-Western City Schools, who served as the 2007 Ohio Teacher of the Year.