When sitting down with Mrs. Luetje, the first question I asked her was why she believed she deserved this award. “What are you doing that other teachers aren’t?” She looked at me and laughed a little. “Well, I look at some of these other teachers and see how hard they work and I think you should have chosen one of them instead.” I expected a humble answer like this, yet I can say that I strongly disagree with her. This month the teacher awarded is particularly well earned. Being nominated by an arsenal of students, Mrs. Luetje has earned the love and respect of much of the student body. Students do anything they can to spend more time around her, from seeing her in the morning, to eating lunch in her room, to seeing her after school. Her sense of humor and care for her students makes her an amazing person to be around.

We know how her students feel about her, but how does she feel about her relationship with her students? “I’ve had you guys for so many years now that I’ve built such a connection with all of you. I know you all as individuals”. I would wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Mrs. Luetje has taught everything from physics, to biology, to environmental science, and therefore knows and connects with a large array of students. She’s passionate about our earth and environment, and any students in her environmental courses tend to really enjoy her classes. “Learning  is about doing” she tells me. “It’s about getting your hands on things and actually doing stuff”.

After speaking to Mrs. Luetje, it’s apparent to see why students love her so much. She cares so deeply about the students she has and the classes she teaches that it’s almost impossible to not love her and her classes. Regardless if she believes she’s deserving or not, Mrs. Luetje has without a doubt earned her spot as teacher of the month.