What's Your Why‪?‬ ND United

Megan Margerum is an English Language Arts teacher at Northern Cass Public School and a finalist for the 2023 North Dakota Teacher of the Year.

Margerum is a believer in the need to shift from traditional school experiences to a more innovative approach. She is passionate about learners and educators facilitating in the learning center together, and has crafted a unit on building learner profiles, developed a plan for the use of Portrait of a Learner skills, and engaged families with the use of personal Google sites.

Margerum says she believes whole-heartedly that you create culture in your classroom by involving parents.

She says accountability, communication, adaptability, Learner's Mindset, and leadership are five areas Northern Cass strives to develop with their learners.

Megan Wald teaches Business Education courses at Linton Public School.

Wald's classroom promotes hands-on learning and giving students opportunities to learn real-world skills that will prepare them for their future careers.

She says her classroom is technology-centered and that it's important to her to provide her students with industry-level programs to develop their skills.

Wald was a finalist for the 2023 North Dakota Teacher of the Year and received the Outstanding New Career and Technical Treacher in Business and Office Technology from the North Dakota Association for Career and Technical Education in 2012.

In this episode, 2022 North Dakota Teacher of the Year Bret Dockter and Tom Gerhardt visit with 2023 North Dakota Teacher of the Year finalist Abby DuBord of Bismarck.

DuBord is a first-grade teacher at Elk Ridge Elementary in Bismarck. DuBord was a part of the Bismarck Public School's Teacher Leader Academy where she had the opportunity to take part in hands-on leadership experiences at both the school and district level.

DuBord has found staff and student wellness to be a priority--especially following COVID-19. She says to be successful as educators, basic physical, mental, and emotional needs of staff and students need to be met.

She also believes in authentic learning experiences as educators prepare their students for an unknown future.

DuBord believes the best way to prepare students is to get them involved in the world around them through academic, social-emotional, and life lessons.

2023 North Dakota Teacher of the Year Ivona Todorovic of Grand Forks Red River joins 2022 North Dakota Teacher of the Year Bret Dockter and North Dakota United's Tom Gerhardt.

Todorovic talks about her inspiring story to become an educator, what gives her hope, one thing she'd like to see changed, her mentors, and her why.