Peterman Realizes Dream: Teaching, Reading

Thursday, January 8, 2004

MARY ROB CLODFELTER
Independent Staff Writer

By Joe Maiorana/ThisWeek Newspapers

At a time when most people are looking forward to retirement, Debby Peterman is beginning her teaching career.

"I am 50 and I'm going for 30 years," she said.

Peterman finished her schooling at Ohio Dominican University on Dec. 2, began teaching reading at Homer Elementary School on Dec. 3 and graduated from Ohio Dominican on Dec. 20.

Debby Peterman was a former custodian who traded in her broom for chalk as a kindergarten through fourth-grade teacher at Homer Elementary School. The Ohio Dominican University graduate shown sharing a laugh with third-grader Justin Mullins.

It was the culmination of five years of elementary education classes.

"I went back to school when I was 45," Peterman said. For the 16 years before that, Peterman was custodian at Oregon Elementary School. While a student at Ohio Dominican, she worked full-time as custodian, going to school at night, during the summers and on weekends.

"Dan Montgomery (former Johnstown-Monroe superintendent) was so great," she said. "They worked around my schedule in the summer so I could go to classes. I switched to nights at Oregon, subbed for a year and worked part-time as custodian at the Performing Arts Center. I missed the kids."

She was encouraged by Carolyn Boesch, then a fourth-grade teacher at Oregon. "She said, 'Why don't you teach,'" Peterman recalled. "Another teacher said, 'There are lots of good role models at Oregon' so I went home to Russ one day and said I wanted to teach. I called around, but there weren't any colleges that would take me since I hadn't had math or foreign language.

"But Ohio Dominican was wonderful," she said. "They told me it would be $125 for a course, so I took children's literature and I loved it. The language arts program is very strong. I love to read. Oregon was such a good experience. It's a small school, like a little family...

"I was afraid I would be the oldest student at Ohio Dominican," Peterman said, "but they have a great adult education program."

Russ Peterman, her husband, did not live to see his wife finish school or begin her career. After 29 years of marriage and in the midst of her schooling, he died of thyroid cancer.

Finding a job was the easy part.

"They came to me and said they had a job for me at Homer," she said. "I had subbed here in the fourth-, fifth-grade split class. I love this school. I love reading. It is like a dream come true.

"There is so much good literature," Peterman said. "I think reading is such a big gift that I want to share it with the students. I try to get things they enjoy. It shouldn't always be a job to read. I want it to be a privilege, just read for the pure enjoyment.

"I hated school, but I always loved reading," she admitted.

Peterman, who grew up in Croton, graduated from Northridge High School in 1971.

Asked her favorite part of teaching, she replied, "I love it all. I want to have parent-teacher conferences. I really enjoy the kids."

Over the Christmas holidays, she moved her materials to a new room in the school's basement.

"I just kind of hit the ground running," she said.

Homer principal Penny Ziegler is glad to have Peterman aboard.

"I'm delighted," she said. "We are fortunate to have her. She did an excellent job of subbing, so we knew."

What's next for Peterman?

"I am going to start on my master's," she said.

Reprinted with permission - ThisWeek Newspapers 2004.