When Sherrie Gayken’s daughter, Darcie, called her on Tuesday night to ask her if she had prepared anything for the Teacher of the Year ceremony, she said, “What for?”

“After she called, I prepared,” Gayken said. “I prepared to congratulate someone else. I didn’t prepare to win.”

So as she took the podium after being named the 2009 District 241 Teacher of the Year Wednesday, the Halverson Elementary School sixth-grade teacher admitted to being at a loss for words.

She thanked the person who nominated her — she didn’t know who that was — and she thanked the Teacher of the Year committee for naming her a finalist. “Filling out the form is enlightening,” she said. “I had a nice time reminiscing.”

Gayken has been with District 241 for 20 years.

She’s been at the high school, Southwest, Brookside, Hawthorne and Halverson. She has taught for more than 35 years. She has her master’s of education degree in educational leadership. She has also done course work in elementary remedial reading, secondary remedial reading, secondary developmental reading and coaching athletics.

Gayken has been a member of the teaching and learning council since its inception and served as co-chairwoman for a year. She has been sixth-grade Math Masters coach since 1998, served on the district curriculum committee and on the targeted services committee. She has done summer curriculum work for reading, math and a science for numerous years.

She has done extensive coaching in volleyball, softball and girls’ basketball and has served as a state-certified official in volleyball, basketball and softball.

Gayken was also nominated for Teacher of the Year in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2006. She was named Region 1AA Volleyball Coach of the Year by the Minnesota State High Volleyball Coaches Association in 1992 and Big Nine Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1991.

Del Stein, principal at Halverson, said he was delighted with the choice. “She is all that is the best in education and teachers. She is a uniter. I feel honored to be working with her,” he said.

Staci Waltman is Gayken’s teaching partner at Halverson and agreed with the choice hands-down.

“I get to watch her every day, and she’s wonderful,” Waltman said. “I get to learn a lot, too.”

Darcie Gayken, who teaches agriculture education in Lake Mills, Iowa, said her mother is one of the reasons she went into teaching.

“Students look up to her, as I look up to her as a teacher, friend and mother. It’s good to see her rewarded. She’s a tough teacher, but she’s the kind kids respect and look back on as a good teacher,” she said.

Gayken was one of seven finalists for the award. Other finalists were Kristina Burnett, Jim Glaser, Deb Monson, Marcia Templeman, Heidi Venem and Margo Wayne.

The 2007 Teacher of the Year, Diane Heaney, introduced the candidates and gave the welcome at the reception.

Kathy Niebuhr, representing the Albert Lea Education Association, called the group of nominees the “can do” generation of teachers, and proceeded to list what each tells his or her students they can do on a daily basis.

Mary Hinnenkamp, 2008 Teacher of the Year, reflected on her year and what the honor meant to her, especially being on stage during commencement and seeing her students from the Area Learning Center walk across the stage.

Gayken said she chose to become a teacher because she came from a large family where the children helped each other. She enjoys being around kids, she said.

“I love getting up in the morning and going to work,” she said. “I love what I do.”