It has come full circle for Winter, who has been a teacher for 33 years. She has spent the last 28 years in the Fort Dodge Community School District in the same building.

Ironically, when she began as a student teacher it was in the same room in which she taught her final year of first grade in 2026.

Winter taught kindergarten for 20 years at Feelhaver, and for the last eight years, she has been in first grade.

When she was younger, Winter always knew having her own classroom was where she needed to be.

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Winter said. “I would teach my stuffed animals in my room.”

As she just completed her final year in the Fort Dodge Community School District, Winter was honored as the first recipient of the Elementary Teacher of the Year Award.

“Susan Winter has the ability to manage a classroom,” said Fort Dodge Superintendent Josh Porter. “She has a calm learning environment where the kids respect her. When I would go into her classroom the kids were very respectful. When I walk into some classrooms, it can be a huge distraction, but her kids were very respectful.

“First grade can get crazy. In her room there is a calm demeanor and they want to learn.”

Winter was very humbled to accept the honor.

“The reward I got for Teacher of the Year was an extra personal day,” laughed Winter. “It was a great way to end my career. I was shocked because there are so many good teachers and I was very honored.”

This was the first year the award was handed out as well as the Secondary Teacher of the Year Award, which went to sixth grade middle school teacher Julia Hatcher.

“We have an end of year celebration where they were honored,” Porter said. “We put a small committee together at the central office after teachers were nominated.

“We have a ton of educators in our system, so we came up with the idea to get some nominations and chose a deserving educator.”

The biggest joy for Winter was the relationships she was able to build.

“It’s all about the relationship and getting to know the kids and the families on a personal level and watching the students grow throughout the year,” Winter said. “After you have taught for so long, it comes full circle. When I start teaching kids, whose parents I taught.

“Relationships with students last. Being invited to graduations and weddings, shows that I made a difference to the level that they still think of me.”

As Winter is now heading down a new path as a kindergarten teacher at St. Edmond, she remembers all the colleagues she built relationships with.

“The people that I have worked with have been great support and have made collaboration a lot easier,” Winter said. “I had just thanked Linda Whiting (former Feelhaver principal) for taking the chance on me.

“I built great relationships with Gail Thompson, Robin Osterberg, Jen Cordle and Angie Utley. They become family and support you with the job.”