By Taylor Shillam
Melody Lund, Second Grade Fernan STEM Academy
Melody Lund is a second-grade teacher at Fernan STEM Academy, whose passion for her profession is undeniable. Praised as a “dynamic teacher” by her peers, Melody is known to create an engaging, inviting atmosphere for her students.
“I love their excitement for learning, the wonder in their eyes and the moments when their mind is ‘blown’ by a new concept finally understood,” she says. “I love teaching with a STEM focus, where students learn through hands-on learning and have a problem to solve.”
She values the relationships formed with her students, “as they are with me for a short window of their journey in education.”
Melody has been a teacher for 19 years and recalls the COVID pandemic as a standout experience in her career. “This was a powerful opportunity for all of us,” she says. “We had to be more than we were and step out of our comfort zone.”
She recalls teachers across the country sharing resources and encouraging each other unselfishly. “There was also an eagerness in students who just wanted to be back at school, learning and experiencing life with their friends and teachers. The support of parents, the community and fellow teachers was amazing!”
She also felt an enhanced appreciation for her community. “We always knew we lived in an amazing place, but the community support was extra special that year,” she says. “It was an awful time in our history, but also a beautiful time where mankind supported each other to better the lives of our children.”
Melody says parents and the general public might be surprised at how often teachers think about their students. “Teachers are passionate about kids and work hard to reach each individual student. They plan, brainstorm ideas, and often lose sleep thinking about their students.”
This dedication, she says, is often what inspires a career in education. “In general, teachers enter education because they care deeply for kids and want to make an impact for future generations."
Even with nearly two decades of experience as a teacher, Melody has never stopped learning.
“A life lesson that I have learned, as a human being, is that we are all on a journey,” she says. “We have not arrived, and learning continues, as long as we live. I have learned to give myself and others a break and allow for imperfections. Those imperfections make us who we are and make us special.”
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