• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds

Steve Reddick is Oak Ridge Schools’ Teacher of the Year

Posted at 2:27 pm February 7, 2018
By Holly Cross Leave a Comment

Steve Reddick

Steve Reddick

 

Steve Reddick has been named Teacher of the Year for Oak Ridge Schools.

Reddick is an eighth-grade American history teacher. He has been teaching at Jefferson Middle school for 34 years.

“He believes there is no more relevant or exciting subject to teach, as students are ‘citizens in training,’ who will one day vote, pay taxes, serve our country, and be part of our local, national, and global communities,” a press release said. “Steve notes that democracy requires ‘lots of practice’ and engaged citizens who embrace their civic responsibilities with discernment, reflection, and a seriousness of purpose. He utilizes print and electronic resources to develop his students’ reading, writing, thinking, and discussion skills, as well as the “habits of mind” that they will need to become active, engaged citizens. Students compare differing points of view, weigh evidence, and discuss topics and historical interpretations respectfully.”

Reddick makes a point of framing these habits in both historical and contemporary contexts, the press release said.

“Steve likens historical facts to an ‘alphabet and vocabulary of citizenship,'” the press release said. “Students must learn to use these factual components to build ‘sentences and paragraphs’ of understanding about what it means to be American citizens in the 21st century. With these tools, they begin to see themselves and our country in a historical context. They learn that the American ‘experiment’ is an ongoing journey of trial and error, successes and failures, triumphs and struggles. Steve also encourages his students to understand that creativity, courage, civility, and humor are critical to the debates that sustain our democracy.”

Reddick received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Tennessee, master’s degree in British and European history from UT, and master’s in modern Irish history from University College in Cork, Ireland.

In addition to his dedication to students in the classroom, Reddick has served in many roles, the press release said, including:

  • athletic director,
  • acting administrator,
  • president of the Oak Ridge Education Association (OREA),
  • teacher leader,
  • eighth-grade team leader,
  • head coach for cross country,
  • assistant coach for track and field,
  • pre-AP teacher trainer,
  • TCAP evaluator,
  • grant reviewer,
  • Williamsburg Foundation peer facilitator,
  • presenter at the U.S. Department of Energy,
  • curriculum specialist for Science Applications International Corporation,
  • research scholar for Australian National University,
  • planning and steering committee member for the Showcase Geography conference,
  • mentor teacher for the Tennessee Geographic Alliance,
  • teacher workshop trainer for the National Geographic Society,
  • test item writer for the Tennessee secondary geography teacher certification test,
  • test item writer for the National Geographic Society National Geography Bee, and
  • program and steering committee and newsletter editor for the Tennessee Geographic Alliance.

He has received numerous awards and other recognition including:

  • University of Tennessee Educators Hall of Honor
  • Leadership and Legacy: Lessons from George Washington
  • WBIR Teacher of the Week
  • Mellon Fellowship, Virginia Historical Society
  • PhD Fellowship, Australian National University
  • Highest honors in Master of Arts at University College in Cork, Ireland
  • Rotary International Scholarship
  • Magna cum laude in Bachelor of Arts, the University of Tennessee
  • Phi Beta Kappa, the University of Tennessee

Reddick has an impressive list of academic achievements, including many published articles in professional journals and public presentations stateside and internationally, the press release said. Locally, he is also a musical celebrity, participating in a variety of bands that include the Ridge City Ramblers, Shamrock Road, Carroll Hollow, High Altitude, and The Diablos.

Oak Ridge Schools previously announced its school-level teachers of the year.

“The Tennessee Department of Education has encouraged us to recognize teachers who care about children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of Tennessee students, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement,” the press release said. “The Teacher of the Year program recognizes and honors outstanding teachers in Tennessee.”

Goals of the program are to:

  • Promote effective teaching practices by recognizing and rewarding outstanding teachers.
  • Engage regional teachers of the year in education policy making through the Teacher Advisory Council.
  • Encourage participation by every school in the state so that all Tennessee teachers may be recognized and rewarded.
  • Build a network of local and state corporate sponsors.
  • Provide a network for teachers to share effective practices.
  • Encourage a sense of professionalism in teaching.
  • Encourage greater participation in building a strong community-school partnership.

This press release was submitted by Holly Cross.

More information will be added as it becomes available.


Do you appreciate this story or our work in general? If so, please consider a monthly subscription to Oak Ridge Today. See our Subscribe page here. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today.

Copyright 2018 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: American History teacher, history teacher, Jefferson Middle School, Oak Ridge Schools, Ridge City Ramblers, Steve Reddick, Teacher of the Year, Tennessee Department of Education

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Education News

Roane State celebrates construction milestone for new health science campus in west Knoxville 

Submitted Roane State Community College and its nonprofit Foundation hosted a ceremony on July 2, 2024, commemorating a major milestone in the construction of the college’s new Knox Regional Health Science Education … [Read More...]

UCOR awards $45,000 in STEM education mini-grants

Submitted Drones, a manufacturing simulator lab, and hands on meteorology are among the classroom projects that United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) will fund through its 2024 mini-grants. UCOR awarded $45,000 in … [Read More...]

ORHS graduation could be rescheduled, moved depending upon weather

Rain and thunderstorms are possible Friday and Saturday, and the Oak Ridge High School graduation could be rescheduled or moved depending upon the weather. Oak Ridge Schools announced the plan on Tuesday. ORHS … [Read More...]

School staff not allowed to carry guns

Oak Ridge Schools will not allow teachers and other staff members to carry guns in buildings, Superintendent Bruce Borchers said Wednesday. Borchers made the announcement in a notice sent to school families. His … [Read More...]

Bruce Borchers

Borchers to discuss schools on Tuesday

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers will discuss the state of the schools during a lunchtime meeting on Tuesday. The presentation will be hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. The Lunch with … [Read More...]

More Education

Recent Posts

  • Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival Announces 2025 Storytellers
  • Laser-Engraved Bricks Will Line Walkway of New Chamber Headquarters
  • Democratic Women’s Club to Discuss Climate Change, Energy and Policy
  • Estate Jewelry Show at Karen’s Jewelers Features Celebrity Jewelry
  • Keri Cagle named new ORAU senior vice president and ORISE director
  • ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal+ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal More than $1 million raised in past 10 years benefits United Way and Community Shares Oak Ridge, Tenn. —ORAU exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 in donations as part of its internal annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares nonprofit organizations. ORAU has raised more than $1 million over the past 10 years through this campaign. A total of $126,839 was pledged during the 2024 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign. Employees donate via payroll deduction and could earmark their donation for United Way, Community Shares or both. “ORAU has remained a strong pillar in the community for more than 75 years, and we encourage our employees to consider participating in our annual giving campaign each year to help our less fortunate neighbors in need,” said ORAU President and CEO Andy Page. “Each one of our employees has the power to positively impact the lives of those who need help in the communities where we do business across the country and demonstrate the ORAU way – taking care of each other.” ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, provides science, health and workforce solutions that address national priorities and serve the public interest. Through our specialized teams of experts and access to a consortium of more than 150 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to provide innovative scientific and technical solutions and help advance their missions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakRidgeAssociatedUniversities Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/orau Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orau ###
  • Children’s Museum Gala Celebrates the Rainforest
  • Jim Sears joins ORAU as senior vice president
  • Oak Ridge Housing Authority Receives Funding Assistance of up to $51.8 Million For Renovating Public Housing and Building New Workforce Housing
  • Two fires reported early Friday

Search Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2025 Oak Ridge Today