Lincoln teacher wins national teaching award
Posted By: Alden German
agerman@klkntv.com
A Lincoln middle school teacher has won a prestigious national teaching award. She is one of only 46 in the country to win it.
Now this Lincoln teacher is being recognized as one of the finest in the nation.
"Throughout the years I’ve gotten to work with some of the finest teachers I could ever imagine and still do today," said Doreen Ainslie, winner of the award.
Ainslie is a 7th grade social studies teacher at Mickle middle school and has taught there for nearly 40 years. She was recently announced as one of 46 teachers across the country to win the California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence.
"It’s very humbling because I don’t think I do anything unique in my classroom that doesn’t take place across Lincoln every single day in every classroom and across Nebraska," said Ainslie.
Awardees are nominated by their peers who view them as prime examples of dedicated, passionate, hard–working, and influential teachers. Last year, Ainslie won the Nebraska state award for "Teacher of Excellence." That put her in the running for the national award which she later won.
Teaching has been a dream career for her, and this award is the crowning jewel.
"Oh I have always wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. I think I had a very instrumental social studies teacher in high school that led me in this direction," she said.
Thousands of students have sat in her classroom, including her own three sons; but Ainslie says the best parts of teaching have come outside of the classroom when she sees old students.
"I’ve seen them become teachers, I’ve seen them become lawyers, I’ve seen them become doctors," she said.
As for what’s next in her long career, she hopes to keep doing what she loves.
"I’d like to go on as long as I can so I hope I still have a few years left," said Ainslie.
The awards will be handed out next February in Washington D.C. The top five finalists will win ten thousand dollars with the winner receiving an additional 25 grand.
