Des Lacs-Burlington High School biology teacher Mary Eldredge-Sandbo was named North Dakota Education Association Teacher of the Year during a ceremony Thursday in Fargo at the NDEA's state convention.

According to an NDEA press release, after graduating from college with a degree in biology, Eldredge-Sandbo wasn't quite ready to get a 'real' job. Instead, she went back to school to get her teaching degree and encountered professors who presented teaching as a noble and exciting profession.

"That year of education classes and student teaching served me well," she said. "By the time I was through, I was eager to start my career."

After 26 years of teaching, Eldredge-Sandbo continues to love her career choice. "It is truly a joy to work with students as I strive to encourage inquiry and foster an appreciation for the complexity of life," she said. "When I hear a former student has decided on a career in which they use biology, I hope something they learned in my class helped them make the decision to continue learning more about DNA or cells or the workings of the body or interactions in the environment. And, when I hear from a graduate who has something positive to say about his or her time in my class or a question about a career choice, I consider it the greatest compliment of all."

Eldredge-Sandbo has a master's degree in science education and has obtained national board certification. Most recently she has been involved with technology integration in her school and has helped write several grants that have provided equipment and professional development.

"This has presented many opportunities for our entire district to work together as we integrate technology into our curriculum," she said. "Not only is there collaboration among the faculty, but also with students as we all learn new ways to explore our world, share what we are learning and make new connections as we become more adept at using technology to make learning more meaningful."

"All of these experiences have taught me what I didn't know when I started teaching," she said, "that education isn't nearly as much about telling students what we know as it is about learning, sharing, growing and then sharing some more."

The other three candidates for 2010 North Dakota Teacher of the Year were: Craig Erickson, a marketing education teacher at Fargo's North High School, Max Laird, a science teacher at Community High School in Grand Forks, and Mike Voglewede, a biology teacher at Northwood.

"She is an educator who is characterized by intelligence, compassion and commitment," said superintendent of public instruction Wayne Sanstead in a press release. "I'm honored to forward Mary Eldredge-Sandbo's name as the state's official candidate for the 2010 National Teacher of the Year competition. She exemplifies the best of all that is good in education. She represents our state with distinction."

The National Teacher of the Year competition culminates in a recognition ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., in April.

Eldredge-Sandbo will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the National Teacher of the Year Recognition Week activities in Washington, DC. She will also receive full compensation for several professional development opportunities which include: the NTOY Program Conference in Dallas, Texas; and the International Space Camp, U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama.