OSU alumna named Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalist

Friday, November 20, 2020

Ginger Billman, an OSU alumna, has been announced as an Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalist by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE).

Billman, a first-grade teacher in Stillwater’s Richmond Elementary School, is one of 12 Teacher of the Year finalists statewide. Billman graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and has made mentorship with both students and colleagues a priority.

“Some of my proudest accomplishments as a teacher are not only inspiring and creating a love of learning for my students, but also inspiring student teachers and fellow colleagues in my building and across the state,” Billman said.

The 2021-22 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year will be selected in February and begin duties July 1, serving as an ambassador for Oklahoma teachers and encouraging others to enter or remain in the profession. As Billman awaits the final announcement, she credits her time at OSU for challenging her to strive for excellence.

“I think OSU prepared me to be a teacher not just from the classes I took, but from the leadership roles they encouraged me to be a part of,” Billman said. “Perhaps most helpful was actually visiting schools doing observations and student teaching.”

From these visits, Billman learned what she wanted her own classroom to look like, and she cultivated a passion for learning she has maintained throughout her nearly 30 years of teaching.

“Children need to be actively involved in what you are teaching,” Billman said. “There are so many ways to make learning come alive: reading with expression, creating lessons allowing for movement and peer interaction, or learning through music and singing.”

Billman takes an active role in mentoring new teachers and inspiring veteran teachers with the techniques she has learned over the years.

“I love working with young children as well as adults,” Billman said. “Each one is unique, and I learn just as much from them as they learn from me.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Brittany Bowman | 405-744-9347 | brittany.bowman@okstate.edu