Award-winning educator says students inspire her

Vicki Moreland

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By Michael D. Pitman, Staff Writer 4:54 PM Wednesday, January 6, 2010

FAIRFIELD TWP. — Vicki Moreland said all of the honors and awards she’s received are due to the students she’s taught.

The Butler Tech family and consumer sciences instructor is currently assigned to Monroe High School, but four school years ago Moreland started the Teacher’s Academy at Fairfield High School.

Because of her work with the academy, she won the 2008 Ohio and 2009 Region I Association for Career and Technical Education Outstanding Teacher in Community Service. That made the Preble County resident a finalist for the 2009 National ACTE Outstanding Teacher in Community Service, which she did not win.

While she said it was an honor to represent the region, state, Butler Tech and Fairfield, Moreland said it was because of the work of the students.

“They are the ones that really became involved in the community and embraced the idea of giving back,” she said. “I just really have them to thank for it.”

It was a bit intimidating for Moreland to be on stage in front of 4,000 people at the national ACTE conference in November in Nashville.

“You just try to keep in mind all the people you want to thank,” she said.

Moreland began her teaching career 22 years ago at Preble Shawnee. She taught high school family and consumer sciences, formerly known as home economics, for 16 years. For the past four complete school years, Moreland led Fairfield’s Teacher Academy.

Being a teacher is a way to help influence or change a student’s life. She was inspired by two home economic teachers — and mentors.

“They saw qualities in me that they thought I should pursue teaching. They believed in me and that’s why I became a teacher, and that’s why I want to pass that on,” she said. “I do take a very personal interest in my students, and try to do the same for them.”

Moreland had completed nearly a score of projects while at Fairfield, including sub welcome kits for substitute teachers, a food drive to benefit the Fairfield Food Pantry, a teacher hall of fame where students wrote essays that were displayed about teachers at Fairfield High School and had Teacher Academy students write thank you post cards to past inspirational teachers.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.

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