“My roots are here,” explains Albrandt who was born six miles up I-76 in Atwood.  “I moved to Merino when I was a sixth grader.  I graduated from Merino and married my Junior High sweet heart.”

After school, she decided to stay in the community and has been teaching ever since.  “I enjoy the community.  It’s a great place to live with lots of great people.”

For nearly three decades she has been teaching 3rd grade at the town’s school.  Over the years she’s had many pupils—including the current principal of the school. “A big reason I became a teacher is because of the experience I had with teachers like Ms. Albrandt,” said Principal Kyle Stumpf.

Even after 27 years of teaching, Ms. Albrandt’s focus is the same, cultivating a love of learning by teaching lessons that have a real-life impact and are fun.  “I believe the learning should be fun.  It’s something kids should enjoy enough to become life-long learners,” Albrandt said.

Albrandt often integrates games and other fun activities into the learning.  And students say they really enjoy when she reads books aloud to them. “In Charlotte’s Web, she makes voices for every single character,” said one of her students.

The fun and learning doesn’t end at the school year.  Many of the students sign up for the Prairie School, Paula organizes.  It’s a hands-on experience, which gives students a glimpse at what it was like for students when the town was settled. “We dress up in old clothes and we play school,” she explains.

For Ms. Albrandt every project from the Prairie School to the autobiographies the kids are writing are a chance for the kids to learn about their roots and to give them the tools they’ll need in the future.  That’s why she feels so passionate about her job. “I believe we have such an important job of molding the future,” Albrandt said.

Please join 9NEWS and CollegeInvest in congratulating Paula Albrandt, the May 2006 9Teacher Who Cares.