Hermiston Instructor Named State's Top Ag Teacher

Melissa (Missy) Doherty, a third grade teacher at Rocky Heights, was recently selected as the 2016 Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) Teacher of the Year.

Doherty was chosen because she integrates lessons about agricultural and forestry to help her students have a better understanding of how their food, forestry products and fiber are produced. Doherty also borrows egg incubators from Oregon AITC’s Free Loan Library program, allowing her students to care for the incubating eggs and the young chicks once they hatch.

This year she also plans to use Oregon AITC tree and forestry resources. She has the ambitious goal of partnering up with the city of Hermiston Parks Department and other community groups to plant nearly 100 saplings at one of the local parks, on Arbor Day. Ten years from now, Doherty’s students will be able to see trees where they once planted saplings.

“We are very proud of Melissa and the honor is well deserved,” said Rocky Heights Principal Jerad Farley. “Mrs. Doherty goes above and beyond to bring rich agricultural education learning opportunities to many Rocky students.”

Doherty’s work will be featured on the Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom’s website, and she will write on their blog to hopefully inspire other teachers to do the same.

Doherty will be honored at the Annual Fall Harvest Dinner and Auction, this Saturday, Oct. 22, at the OSU campus in Corvallis.