The finalists for the 2015 Albert Lea Teacher of the Year Award have been announced. There are five teachers from the district who are being considered for either the Teacher of the Year Award from the Albert Lea Education Association or the Apple Award from the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce.

The Teacher of the Year reception will be at 3:30 p.m. March 25 at the Albert Lea High School commons area.

Below are profiles of each finalist.

 

Penny Hagen 

Penny Hagen, special education teacher at Southwest Middle School, has been working with Albert Lea Area Schools for 31 years. She has a master’s degree in learning disabilities and is a department chairwoman, PLC leader, adviser and talent show coordinator. She has also been a supervising teacher for seven student teachers.

She earned a certificate of appreciation from the superintendent and school board in 1987, a certificate of recognition from the superintendent and school board in 1995 and 1996, the title of excellent educator from KAAL in 2013 and 2014 and has been nominated for Teacher of the Year in 1999, 2000, 2009 and 2014.

She is involved with her church, served on the golf board for Riverview Golf Course and is a Farm and City Days volunteer.

Hagen is a native of Hickson, North Dakota, and proclaims herself a North Dakota State University Bison fan. She enjoys reading, traveling, camping, riding horses and chasing cows.

 

Robin Hundley

Robin Hundley, sixth-grade math teacher at Southwest Middle School, has been working with Albert Lea Area Schools for eight years. She has a master’s degree which she completed in May 2014. She has coached sixth-grade girl’s volleyball and fifth- and sixth-grade math masters teams. She has also been a PLC facilitator, a first-year teacher mentor and worked with curriculum writing.

Hundley has been nominated for Teacher of the Year in 2009 as well as this year.

She has been active with mission trips to Mexico, has been a youth leader since 2000 and was a children’s ministry leader at Albert Lea Vineyard Church from 2000 to 2005. She has also been a preschool Sunday school teacher and was involved with Shinefest.

Hundley has a husband, Matt, who is a pastor at Albert Lea Vineyard Church. She has four children: 25-year-old Chandra, who is an ER nurse at Perry County Hospital; 23-year-old Sarah, who teachers fourth grade in Waterloo, Iowa; 20-year-old Madison, who is in college for nursing; and John, who is a senior in high school.

She likes swimming, volleyball, walking and helping others. She also loves working on home projects like painting, roofing, siding and windows.

 

Lynda Kiesler

Lynda Kiesler, a science teacher at Albert Lea High School, has been with Albert Lea Area Schools for 18 years. She has a master’s of science in education and is the science department chairwoman, building technology coordinator, ATPPS professional learning community facilitator, basketball scorer and track announcer and official. She was grades 6 through 12 science curriculum coordinator from 2012-14, Tigers’ Roar director from 2002-13, middle school boy’s basketball coach from 2001-07, student council adviser from 2000-01, alternative energy curriculum writing team member from 2009-10, online learning research team member in 2006, BioTIC member from 2009-11 and chaperoned the freshman trip to the Washington, D.C., area from 2000-05. She has also been on various committees.

Kiesler was a Teacher of the Year finalist in 2001 and also won the KIMT Golden Apple Award in 2001.

She is a member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and worked with Gold Star Shows Inc. in 2014.

Kiesler grew up in Elysian and went to Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School. She grew up on a farm and developed a love for animals. She has been married to her husband, Mike, for almost 19 years.

She loves music and has performed with a band called Powerhouse since 2002.

 

Todd Lange

Todd Lange, English teacher at Albert Lea High School, has been with Albert Lea Area Schools for 18 years. He has a master’s degree in teaching English and is the English department head and is a concurrent faculty with Riverland Community College.

He was a coach with the Albert Lea Youth Soccer Association from 2004-09 and 2011-13. He is also on the mission team at Grace Lutheran Church.

Lange is from Eden Prairie and is married to Christma Lange, a fourth-grade teacher at Hawthorne Elementary School. He has three children: Solveig who is in 12th grade, Jens who is in ninth grade and Henrik who is in fifth grade.

He enjoys woodworking, playing guitar, home improvement and reading.

 

Beth Nelson

Beth Nelson, kindergarten teacher at Lakeview Elementary School, has been with Albert Lea Area Schools for 12 years. She has a master’s degree in teaching and learning. She is on the child study team and teaches targeted services for kindergarteners. She has also been a mentor and been on Lakeview’s building leadership team. She is on the English Language Arts committee in the district and has also been on the social studies, science and math committees. She was also on the teaching and learning committee.

She has been nominated for Teacher of the Year five times and was a finalist in 2013. She has been working to raise money for the March of Dimes and Relay for Life for the past five years.

Nelson is married to her husband, Justin, and has a four-year-old son named Charlie. She is from Rochester and graduated from Mayo High School and went to Rochester Community and Technical College before attending Minnesota State University, Mankato.

She likes to exercise, including running, walking, biking and swimming. She teaches a spinning class at the Albert Lea Family Y and enjoys golfing.