Bismarck, North Dakota – Perhaps the most well-known traveling prize in sports is the Stanley Cup. The team that wins the NHL championship receives it every year.
The fact that each member of the winning squad gets to spend time with the cup alone is one of the most adorable aspects about the Cup.
The Teacher of the Year for North Dakota believes she can support that notion.
Sheila Peterson, the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award, has really put a similar concept into practice, and it motivates every Wachter Middle School student to give it their all every day.
A guidebook can be available to assist the teacher of the year in adjusting to their new role. But one kind note at a time, Sheila Peterson is writing her own tale.
She’s taking a moment today to list a few reasons why she believes fellow educator Kendall Bergrud is an excellent educator.
She then swiftly gathers a couple of students.
“Every kid in our school loves him,” she said, while walking with students to Bergrud’s classroom.
They all give Mr. Bergrud the Peterson Teacher of the Year award together.
“I did not expect it. I didn’t expect any of these kids that came in, but it was cool to see all these kids excited this morning to come pump me up for the day to get me ready to go,” said Bergrud, who teaches math at Wachter Middle School.
Mrs. Peterson would like to express her gratitude to her colleagues for their unwavering support and for deeming her deserving of the title of Teacher of the Year.
“It felt ridiculous to have this to sit in an office somewhere or sit in the trophy case,” she said with a smile. “I wouldn’t be half the teacher I am if have had not come here.”
Thus, each day, Mrs. Peterson takes a picture, posts it on social media, and gives her trophy to a different teacher. She spoke even more highly of her colleagues and educators there.
“Every teacher in our building could have easily won this,” said Peterson. “I just thought, ‘I cannot just keep this. We need to have fun with this.’ All of us should be celebrating everyone in our school. It’s really fun to see the smile on their face and get to just pump them up and it’s fun for me to be able to go to each teacher and tell them why I think they’re amazing.”
Her colleagues, meanwhile, remark that Mrs. Peterson is an incredible person who constantly motivates them to do better.
“Mrs. Peterson is just a great example of a great teacher,” said Bergrud.
The instructors are being recognized by Mrs. Peterson in alphabetical order. She only has 80 or so left.
She intends to share her prize with administrators, secretaries, assistants, and custodians in addition to instructors. As Teacher of the Year, she feels that every single person who works at Wachter improves her and should be honored.
