After receiving Woodbrook Elementary’s annual top honor for educators at the end of April, Christine Daviduke was invited to the Teacher of the Year banquet in May.

“I had no idea that I would be receiving this award,” she said of being named Carmel Clay Schools’ 2022-23 Teacher of the Year. “I am incredibly honored and shocked that I was chosen out of the extremely talented educators I am surrounded by each day.”

Daviduke has taught kindergarten for 14 years.

“My classroom is my happy place,” she said. “I wanted to become a teacher so I can make a positive impact in children’s lives. I love creating and building relationships with each child. In kindergarten, it is often their first real school experience, and I am able to create a strong foundation for my students both academically and socially. The best part of teaching is to watch their love of learning grow each day.”

A Carmel native, Daviduke attended Clay Middle School and Carmel High School. She graduated from Ball State University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education. She taught at Carmel Elementary and Woodbrook Elementary her first year of teaching when the alternating day kindergarten program was available. She has taught kindergarten at Woodbrook since 2009.

“I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school,” she said. “I never changed paths and it’s a great honor to be recognized for doing a job that I love. “

Daviduke said she was pleased to be part of Carmel Education Foundation’s Teacher Engagement Council, which started this past school year.

“This is a great program that helps connect the teachers and schools with the foundation,” she said. “CEF provides our teachers and students with so many opportunities and I am grateful to be a part of it.”

Daviduke lives in Carmel with her husband, Kevin and their daughters Livi and Amelia. Livi will be in fourth grade and Amelia starting first grade at Woodbrook in August.