Perhaps Alice Klem summed up the feelings of all present best. "You've left some shoes to fill," Klem said. With cheerful candor that seems to be her trademark, Deeker replied, "They've got bigger feet than me, so I expect more from them." Reflecting on her accomplishments as principal of Wright City Elementary, she is equally humble. "All that we've accomplished has been a group effort," said Deeker, who has spent the past nine years in the district. "It wasn't just me, but all of the staff." Many schoolwide changes have taken place under Deeker's able leadership. These changes reflect her passion for students' active participation in the learning process. "There has been a significant change in our way of teaching," she said. "Our emphasis on comprehensive literacy means that we create lifelong learners, rather than just teaching kids for grade-level literacy and writing evaluation, the so-called drill-and-kill method," she noted. Deeker successfully applied for and received a three-year state grant that enabled Wright City Elementary to implement the Comprehensive Literacy program. In addition to Comprehensive Literacy, Deeker was one of the first administrators in the district to recognize the enormous potential of Missouri's eMINTS Program. "eMINTS is a program that provides technology, such as computers and smart boards, as well as training for teachers," she explained. "It is an inquiry-based teaching method, which was initially not very popular, but has since proven very successful." Deeker originally applied for grants which enabled Wright City Elementary to put two eMINTS classrooms in the fourth grade. The program has been so successful and well-received that all of the fourth-grade classrooms at the elementary school are now eMINTS classrooms. "In those classrooms, we have one computer for every two students," she said. "The technology gets the kids excited about learning." Students' enthusiasm is further enhanced by the inquiry-based teaching method, Deeker said. "For example, on a virtual tour of the White House, the kids are in charge of what they do and where they go," she said. "When the kids have ownership of the learning process, they feel more invested. They want to do it, as opposed to being told what to do." According to Deeker, a student's excitement about the learning process during the elementary years has a significant and direct effect on his or her later success. This is why Deeker sees increasing students' enthusiasm for learning as one of her major accomplishments. "When kids enjoy and take ownership of their learning, it has been shown to lessen the number of high school dropouts," she noted. During her time as principal, Wright City Elementary was awarded the Gold Star designation by the state of Missouri. Deeker noted with pride that out of over 1,500 elementary schools statewide, only 17 received the Gold Star rating. Deeker feels that earning the Gold Star rating is about "doing what's right for kids, and continuing to move forward." For Deeker, this means constantly finding new ways to assist kids who are having difficulty in school. She is happy to have implemented technology and professional learning communities which assist teachers in identifying and assisting students who are not achieving. Student success has made Deeker's vocation most satisfying. "It's when I see kids achieve, like when a nonreader becomes a reader, that I feel the greatest sense of accomplishment," she said. Asked what she will miss most, Deeker replied, "I'll miss the people. I've been very blessed to be around quality educators, wonderful parents and kiddos, and community members. "I'll miss when I walk down the hall and students reach out their hands for hugs and high-fives."