Science teacher Bradley Newitt

What does being a teacher mean to you?

“It’s such a rewarding job because you know your helping people grow up. For me especially  getting to work with a lot of juniors and seniors at the end of their career at LHS and seeing them going onto college is really rewarding too,”

Why do you think kids nominated you?

“Hopefully they see I’m very passionate about my job and that I care about them and I want to see them succeed.”

What made you want to be a teacher?

“My mother was a 5th grade teacher for 25 years, so growing up with her was a lot of it but I always just liked school and being around students, and I love math and physics.”

English teacher Susan Bull

What does being a teacher mean to you?

“Teaching gets me up in the morning with joy in my heart to meet the challenges of the day as a life-giving force. Serving students as an educator gives my life purpose and meaning.”

Why do you think kids nominated you?

“Um, well, that’s a weird question. If you really want an answer to it, I would have to guess it was because I feed them from my Costco hoard somewhat frequently.”

What made you want to be a teacher?

“I was attending college as a non-traditional student in my late 30s. When 9/11 happened, I decided to veer toward what I really wanted to do for my life’s work rather than what might make me a high salary. Hundreds of wonderful students and colleagues during the last 15 years meant I have not regretted that choice.”

English teacher Xavier Pastrano

What does being a teacher mean to you?

I think being a teacher means being an advocate for students. Being a teacher means helping students learn how to be a functional person in our ever-changing society…but believing that every student deserves an opportunity to be successful and doing whatever you can to help them realize and reach their fullest potential.”

Why do you think kids nominated you?

“I’ve been told by many parents, teachers and students that I make learning enjoyable and exciting. I incorporate humor and relevancy to the work, which makes my students feel like they’re not ‘wasting their time’…I try my best to help my students by being totally candid with them and using my own personal experiences to connect with them and help them grow as young adults.”

What made you want to be a teacher?

“I applied to graduate school, and got accepted to the UND Masters of English program in 2008. It wasn’t until I began teaching there and my teaching experience in Norway in 2010 that I realized that teaching was the right career for me. I love the content area of English and I love analyzing and discussing literature, so the idea of doing that every day with students and watching them have those ‘Aha! moments’ and developing their analytical and critical thinking skills was very appealing to me.”

English teacher Cindy Cummins

What does being a teacher mean to you?

“Being a teacher isn’t something I take lightly. I feel that this is my calling in life, and I know the importance teachers play in the life of their students. Knowing that my words, my reactions and my choices may have a direct effect on the wellbeing of over 100 kids a day for 180 days a year, pushes me to be the best version of me I can be for them. It’s pretty rare for me to not be working on or at least thinking about school. I truly do love being a teacher and it’s not for any other reason than the kids.”

Why do you think kids nominated you?

“I’m actually not sure who nominated me as they don’t tell you, but I would like to think it was potentially a student. To be honest, I would rather fly under the radar and not get noticed by anyone, so when I was told I was chosen for a potential award that suggests I’m better than another, I found it really, really hard. Here’s why: I feel 98% of the teachers I know are all qualified as a teacher of the year nominee. We work hard; we choose to care when it would be easier not to. We enjoy kids and we know the benefits of being involved in their lives outweigh the amount of time and energy we must put into our jobs.”

What made you want to be a teacher?

“Some of the most influential people in my life have been teachers. I knew my goal in life was to work with youth in some way whether it be in a church setting or in a school. As I got older and wiser, I realized the school system was much more my style so I chose to teach middle school in a public school setting. I’ve only been teaching high school for two years, but I’ve been in a classroom for 30. I wanted to be someone a kid could count on. I wanted to be someone a kid could talk to. I wanted to be someone who would notice all the kids and make sure they were recognized for the amazing human beings they are.”

Orchestra teacher Mario Chiarello

What made you want to be a teacher?

“I didn’t start out teaching… then I started teaching as a professor at Augustana, then the teacher that proceeded me quit on their first day so Lincoln was short staffed and my wife told me I had to take the job since they needed someone.”

Why do you think kids nominated you?

“I think the main reason is I’m honest with them, if they are good I’m honest with them if they suck I’m honest with them. Kids know when they suck and they don’t like it when you are not honest with them but I always have expectations from the best to worst.”

What does being a teacher mean to you?

“One of the reasons I’m still here and not at college is I affect so many more kids in high school but seeing kids wake up to not just music but everything behind music is really exciting.”

Native American connections teacher Janet Fleming-Martin

What does being a teacher mean to you?

“Opportunity to educate with fun and respect middle and high school students. This age level of students energizes me, and I want to come to work and be with them…Being able to teach the history from the perspective of the Dakota, Nakota and Lakota people is an opportunity for myself and the students that take my class to learn the other side of the perspective of early American history of the United States.”

Why do you think kids nominated you?

“I’m humbled by the fact that a student or students would nominate me. If I were to try to give a reason, it might be due to the fact that I genuinely like students this age…This world will be in a much better place with these young generations of people.”

What made you want to be a teacher?

“Growing up on a farm in Iowa I had no aspirations of attending college, I had no aspirations at all…I did end up loving college, besides my bachelor’s in education, I got my master’s in counseling and all but dissertation in Adult and Higher Education. Lastly, I’m blessed with three beautiful children, and then gobs and gobs of other beautiful children that will be in my heart also as mine.”

Correction: 3/4/20

Bradley Newitt’s name was spelled incorrectly.

Small grammatical errors were corrected.