After five years in the Mount Vernon City Schools district and 15 years of teaching physical education, Twin Oak and Columbia Elementary Physical Education teacher Heather Barbour has been named the 2025 OAHPERD Elementary P.E. Teacher of the Year, an honor recognizing her excellence and dedication to her profession.
The Ohio Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (OAHPERD) will present Barbour with the award at its annual convention on December 4 in Hamilton, Ohio. Along with the recognition, she will receive a gymnasium banner and the opportunity to speak about her nomination and what the award means to her.
“I have so many people to thank in my family, let alone the wonderful administrators and everyone I’ve come in contact with over the years,” Barbour said.
While Barbour says the nomination came as a surprise, it is no shock to those who know her commitment to strengthening the community. She previously received the Mount Vernon Volunteer of the Year Award for her impact on local health, wellness, and youth programs. Barbour has also played key roles in community initiatives such as Safety Town and All Kids Bike, both designed to equip young students with lifelong skills.
Rather than viewing the OAHPERD award as a peak achievement, Barbour hopes it becomes a stepping stone—fueling her continued growth as an educator and community advocate.
Barbour’s dedication to her students is evident in the care she brings to her classes. She works hard to ensure physical education is more than just dodgeball or PACER tests; instead, she strives to make her gym a place where every child finds daily success. One way she accomplishes this is by encouraging students to express themselves, even allowing them to decorate the walls of her gym with their artwork.
“I really work hard at trying to help every student find success,” Barbour said. “There are going to be some students who are maybe not the most athletically skilled, but I still want them to feel welcome and to know they can succeed here.”
Her efforts in the community and the classroom reinforce each other—an interconnected commitment that ultimately earned her this statewide honor. And at the heart of her work is one guiding question:
“These kids are going to leave me in fifth grade, but what can I do, and what interests can I pull out of them, that will last them a lifetime?”
