Ms. Peterson will deliver her remarks on Thursday, February 7, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. in the Kate Buchanan Room at University Center on the Quad. The public is invited and no registration is required.
President George W. Bush honored Ms. Peterson, a music teacher at Monte Cristo Elementary School in Granite Falls, Washington, during ceremonies last spring at the White House. She is the 57th National Teacher of the Year and the President recognized her for signal teamwork with other teachers and parallel contributions to her community. The National Teacher of the Year Program focuses public attention on teaching excellence and is widely considered the most prestigious award of its kind in the field.
When Ms. Peterson joined Monte Cristo Elementary School in 1997, she confronted scarce resources and almost no money. The secondary band program owned six percussion instruments, two of which were broken, and her elementary music room was equipped with only eight percussion instruments and twenty recorders.
Ms. Peterson appealed to the superintendent, building administrators and the school board to invest in new technologies and instruments. When funds remained lacking, she pursued alternative sources, including the school’s Learning Improvement Team, Associated Student Body, parent groups and community organizations. Ultimately, she surpassed the original goal of more than $55,000 of new equipment for both instruction and performances.
At the same time, Ms. Peterson revitalized the elementary and high school programs to such an extent that the Granite Falls School District hired an additional music faculty member to assist with the workload. The growth of the music program spurred students to enter county, state and national music competitions and resulted in two auditioned elementary choirs, cross-curricular performances, an auditioned high school chorus, jazz band and a marching band.
Teaching music is only part of Ms. Peterson’s instruction—it serves as a vehicle to other areas. “Music is an amazing tool to unlock students’ potential,” she says. “The most visible benefit from their success in music is their increased confidence and self-esteem. However, I don’t believe it is the only benefit, nor the most powerful. It is truly exciting to see how my music teaching can transfer back to other classrooms.”
Ms. Peterson received bachelor’s 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 an 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, comprising professional educators, musicians and community leaders in the greater Washington and Oregon area.
A reception in the Karshner Lounge adjoining the Kate Buchanan Room will follow Ms. Peterson’s presentation and the HSU Jazz Combo, coordinated by Assistant Professor Dan Aldag of the Department of Music, will entertain.
The event is co-sponsored by HSU’s Center for Education Excellence, Collaboration and Inquiry (http://www.humboldt.edu/~edcenter) and the Humboldt County Office of Education.