Great teachers excellent news for the Valley

May 6, 2005

As most Mat-Su residents sat down to their evening meals last night, six local teachers were being recognized at a dinner in their honor in Wasilla. As it does every year, oil industry giant BP, one of the larger players in the state's oil patch, bestowed its Teacher of Excellence award on a half-dozen of the Mat-Su School District's most outstanding educators.

Among the six was Joyce Lund, a second-grade teacher at Finger Lake Elementary School and 20-year veteran of district classrooms. Lund was BP's pick for the borough's Teacher of the Year.

A teacher for more than 30 years overall, Lund is known for developing her own systems for helping students to succeed. She pinpoints having high expectations for students as critical to success, and says she respects each child's learning style and pace.

Those who have worked closely with her say her limitless enthusiasm, creativity and commitment help her teach by creating excitement in the classroom. She has been called an inspiration to students and fellow teachers alike.

One comment, from a retired former associate, stands as perhaps the greatest tribute to Lund and her legacy: "Her drive and enthusiasm pushed me to become a better teacher and remember why I had become a teacher in the first place."

No small praise.

It is easy, especially in these days of increased emphasis on standardized testing and often limiting qualitative analysis, to take teachers and what they do for granted. The annual budget process can be a dehumanizing exercise, where teachers are reduced to numbers on a spread sheet, and loftier, more meaningful concerns are overshadowed by bottom-line concerns.

But Thursday's award ceremony was a reminder that excellence is possible and that it is flourishing in this community. It is worth noting, as well, that individual excellence is probably not possible without a dedicated and caring supporting cast of fellow teachers, administrators and school staff.

Along with Lund, others recognized for their individual achievements were Nancy Blake, a physical education teacher at Goose Bay Elementary; Michael Fry, a math, science and physics teacher at Palmer High School; Susan Hocker a second-grade teacher at Tanaina Elementary; Marilyn Mitchell, a U.S. history, psychology and American government teacher at Houston High School; and Gary Walker, a sixth-grade math and science teacher at Wasilla Middle School.

Those honored Thursday night remind us of all that is good and right in our education system. We congratulate them all for a job well done and service well rendered. The local school district and the families served by it should be proud of these six and all of their accomplishments - not the least of which is the shaping, for the better, of countless young lives and minds.