Debra Redding was meant to teach, By Patricia Keller West Milford Debra Redding didn’t intend to become a teacher. No, this Maple Road third-grade teacher originally wanted to work as a child psychologist. She took a detour into education to gain experience working with children. So many are glad Redding took that detour. Redding was recently named the West Milford Township School District Teacher of the Year. “I am a proud and dedicated elementary school teacher. I love my career, but I cannot say that it was what I had always wanted to be when I grew up,” said Redding. “Truthfully, I became a teacher by accident, or perhaps by fate. It wasn’t until I became a teacher that I realized it is what I was meant to do. A teacher is unequivocally who I am, my definition of self. It is so much more than my profession; it is truly who I am.” Never left the classroom Redding received her bachelor of arts degree in elementary education/psychology from William Paterson College in 1996. Her intention was to become a child psychologist. She looked to the classroom to gain experience working with children. “I walked through the doors of a classroom and never walked back out,” said Redding. She went on to receive her master’s degree in education from Marygrove College in Detroit and continued her education at Fresno Pacific University and Chapman University in California. She describes herself as a lifelong learner and plans to work toward her Ph.D in reading/language arts which she says is her passion in teaching. Redding began her teaching career in Wanaque in 1996. After three years, she took a job at Maple Road School as a fourth-grade teacher. She moved to third grade half a year later and that’s where she’s been ever since. What makes her special A committee of her peers, administrators and parents nominated Redding for the district’s top honor. Their glowing recommendations led to her winning the award and she will now be entered into the running for Passaic County Teacher of the Year. In a recommendation letter to the Passaic County Teacher of the Year Selection Committee, former Maple Road School Principal Faith Delaney gave Redding an incredible recommendation. “In my 40 years as an educator, I have quite simply never encountered a teacher with more passion, dedication, and excellence,” said Delaney. Current Maple Road Principal Bill Kane said Redding goes above and beyond for her students and is a role model. He acknowledged the award she received from the school board earlier in the year, the ABCD Award, Above and Beyond the Call of Duty. “It’s a very fitting award for Mrs. Redding. The ABCD Award exemplifies the kind of teacher she is-she goes above and beyond what is good for her students,” said Kane. “She is a good model and symbol of the West Milford School District. “On top of all this, Mrs. Redding is a devoted mother, member of her local first aid squad, and, through her church, a teacher for illiterate adults,” Kane said in his letter to the Passaic County committee. “I work with the most talented professionals in the field,” said Redding of her colleagues. “Talented professionals and fabulous leadership inspire greatness.” It’s all about the children Since children are a big part of what she does, being a mother has made her want to be a better teacher, mother and person overall, said Redding. Her own two children are her inspiration for her new endeavors. “Everything has become about what I can teach them,” she said. While on maternity leave, Redding began her own business called “Fit Beginnings” where new moms could work out while bonding with their new babies. As her babies got older, she created additional mom and baby classes, and other programs to meet her growing children’s needs. The programs have taken off. “Everything great I’ve tried to achieve came from my kids,” said Redding. A passion for education in and out of the classroom Redding has developed her own guided reading management program titled “Ready, Set, Let’s Read,” which helps students develop and strengthen their reading skills. The program is currently being implemented throughout the West Milford School District. In her professional biography that she submitted to the Passaic County Teacher of the Year Committee, on the subject of the teaching profession, Redding wrote, “In these advancing times, education is the key to success. Teaching is the profession that is shaping this education and therefore America’s future. Through our teaching we are molding the skills and talents of the next American workers and laying the foundation for good citizenship and full participation in community and civic life. We owe it to our children and ourselves to support the profession of teaching; maintaining it as a desirable and respected profession that will draw the best young candidates to the field.”