Trinity Lutheran School teacher Susan Junk knew she wanted to be a teacher since kindergarten. 

“When I think about it kindergarten is the class that I have the most vivid memories of. All through those formative classroom years I absolutely loved and adored [my teacher] Miss Fritz and I just wanted to be Miss Fritz,” Junk said smiling. “I would go home and play school every single day.” 

The kindergarten teacher, who is in her 27th year at Trinity Lutheran, was named Best Teacher in the Daily Inter Lake's 2024 Best of Flathead. The annual poll lets the public decide the top three in several categories such as arts, entertainment, food, professional services, people, places and things “uniquely Flathead.” 

“I’m overwhelmed at this honor, but it’s about every staff member at Trinity because we all work together as a team,” Junk said.  

“I just want to give every child the best first school experience that they can have, and I want to nurture their love for learning and to do that I want to make it exciting. I want to make it fun. I want them to see the joy in it and like I said I just want them to know that Jesus is always with them,” Junk said. 

When Junk decided to go into elementary education, she knew kindergarten would be a good fit for her personality. 

“I could always relate to them. I just must still be a kindergartner at heart,” she said with a laugh. 

“They’re so innocent, and they’re so truthful and they’re so joyful. It just makes me joyful to be with them,” she added. 

Kindergarten is also a critical period of growth in all areas of development where children have much to learn and usually start the school year off with a wide range of skills and abilities. 

“Kindergarten is just its very own unique class because they are learning so much. They're learning how to cute, they're learning how to socialize. They're learning letters, and numbers, and words. To see when they are successful at something that they haven't done before it's just — it's pure joy,” Junk said. 

One of her favorite subjects to teach is reading and while keeping students on the move. During a literacy block, students rotate between five-minute, 10-minute and 15-minute stations called the “Daily Five,” where they learn spelling, phonics and reading. 

“I love teaching the children the sounds of the letters and having that eye-opening moment when they can put together the sounds that we make and read their first word,” Junk said.  

During “Bible time” Junk uses a felt storyboard to engage students.  

“Every student gets a turn to be the ‘student of the day.’ They’re the snack child; they bring their show and tell; and they get to put the Bible pieces on the felt board,” she said. 

Teaching at a private Lutheran school creates a space where staff and students can discuss religion without restrictions, she said. Junk herself attended a Lutheran school as a child. 

 “I love the fact that we can talk about Jesus and that we can pray when a child is having a rough day. We can all pray together as a class for that child, or I can take that child personally out in the hallway, and we can say a prayer. It just helps calm their fears and ease their anxiety,” she said. 

“That’s probably my sole intention is to let them know that Jesus loves them no matter what,” Junk said. 

With a smaller school the size of Trinity Lutheran, she gets to see her students, and then sometimes their siblings, progress through the years to eighth-grade graduation. 

“I just love the small feel of the school. Even though our school is growing, it still feels small. It still feels very family-oriented and very family-involved,” she said. “Having a relationship with family adds tremendously to the child’s success in kindergarten.”  

She also expressed her admiration for all teachers throughout the valley. 

“I think that when you commit to being a teacher, you're not committing to an eight-hour-a-day job. You're always thinking about your students and what you can do better in your class,” she said. “Even when we have our summer break, I'm still thinking about, OK, this year, I want to try this and I'm kind of jotting down ideas of how I want to change things. We always set goals with our principal at the end of the year and I kind of try to keep those in front of me throughout the summer … be thinking about them and kind of what I want to get accomplished and how to try something new and keep it fresh.” 

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].