CENTERVILLE— Centerville City Schools recognized Melissa Hoffheimer, a French teacher at Watts Middle School, as the 2023 Teacher of the Year during the Board of Education meeting on Feb. 27.
Hoffheimer, who has been teaching in Centerville for 17 years, never thought she would find a job teaching French in a middle school. She enjoys teaching and getting to know her students as sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
“One of the best parts about teaching middle school is that for some of them, it’s their first exposure to a new language,” she said. “Hearing them start with no French to conversing only in French together every Friday has been one of the best parts of my job.”
According to Watts Principal Brian Miller, Hoffheimer is a creative, fun, and warm yet demanding teacher, who makes every day in her classroom an adventure.
“Students best explain the joy and enthusiasm she brings to her classes by saying ‘You feel comfortable in her class. It is a safe place to learn. The activities we get to do make learning fun for all of us,’” Miller said. “Mrs. Hoffheimer brings her optimism and joy to life for everyone she teaches.”
Hoffheimer will represent Centerville City Schools as the district’s finalist for the Ohio Teacher of the Year competition, where her credentials will be reviewed by a state selection panel this spring that will choose one individual to be honored as Ohio’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.
Centerville City Schools serve more than 8,200 students in Centerville and Washington Township in southwest Ohio, offering a variety of educational programs to a diverse student population. The district operates 13 school buildings, as well as two preschools and a bus facility with more than 120 school buses that transport students daily to public and non-public schools. Visit www.centerville.k12.oh.us for more information.
