Duensing earns teacher of year honors

Beverly Duensing got a call two weeks ago that she didn’t expect.

The call was from Wal-Mart, letting the local teacher know she had been selected as Wal-Mart’s Teacher of the Year.

“I was very honored,” said Duensing, a second grade teacher at St. Paul’s Lutheran Education Center. “I had no idea.”

Duensing had been nominated by several former students who hadn’t mentioned anything before she received the call. She still isn’t sure who nominated her, as Wal-Mart keeps that information mostly anonymous.

The award is given annually, and each Wal-Mart selects one teacher as Teacher of the Year, Annette Pickering, Beatrice Wal-Mart manager said.

Duensing was invited to the Beatrice Wal-Mart at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23, to receive her award during the store’s daily meeting. During the meeting she was presented with a $1,000 check for St. Paul’s school.

“The award is a community grant that is just for the school to use,” Pickering said.

Officials at the school were excited to hear about the grant.

“That’s big bucks for a school our size,” said Lonny Duensing, Beverly Duensing’s husband and St. Paul’s principal.

The following day, Mrs. Duensing was recognized in the school’s chapel, where she presented the school with the $1,000 check.

“The kids were very excited. There were a lot of wows,” she said.

How the money will be spent has not yet been decided.

“As a staff, we’ll get together and decide what the school needs most,” Mrs. Duensing said.

Duensing has been a teacher at St. Paul’s for 15 years. She started her career there as a Kindergarten teacher, and eight years ago, made the switch to the second grade where she has taught since.

“To be honest, I was a little worried when I decided to teach the second grade. I didn’t think they would be as exciting as the Kindergartners,” she said.

She was quickly proved wrong by her second grade class.

“Some are just on the edge of their chairs, so excited to learn,” she said.