photo by: Nick Krug

Sunset Hill Elementary second-grade teacher Michele Duncan is mobbed by her students after an all-school assembly during which she was announced as the recipient of the 2018 Special Award for Excellence in Teaching by the Lawrence Schools Foundation, Thursday, May 10, 2018. Duncan, who is in her 29th year with the district, received a $10,000 check with the award, known as the Bobs Award. (Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo)

It’s a good thing Michele Duncan loves kids. The longtime educator was practically mobbed by a pack of second-graders Thursday afternoon after being presented with the 2018 Special Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Commonly known as the Bobs Award, the Lawrence Schools Foundation’s annual honor recognizes teachers who exemplify outstanding instruction skills, commit themselves to quality education and demonstrate a focus on individual student achievement, among other traits.

Clearly, Duncan’s students love her, too, as evidenced by the many hugs and well wishes she received Thursday in the Sunset Hill Elementary gymnasium. Representatives from the Lawrence Schools Foundation surprised the teacher with her new award — and a $10,000 check — during an all-school assembly that afternoon.

After nearly 30 years in the Lawrence district and 14 years at Sunset Hill, Duncan says she’s still excited coming to work.

photo by: Nick Krug

Sunset Hill Elementary teacher Michele Duncan smiles with flowers and an oversized check for $10,000 as she is announced as the recipient of the 2018 Special Award for Excellence in Teaching by the Lawrence Schools Foundation during an assembly at the school Thursday, May 10, 2018. (Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo)

photo by: Nick Krug

Sunset Hill Elementary teacher Michele Duncan smiles with flowers and an oversized check for $10,000 as she is announced as the recipient of the 2018 Special Award for Excellence in Teaching by the Lawrence Schools Foundation during an assembly at the school Thursday, May 10, 2018. (Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo)

“That’s what I love about the kids, because they’re just so excited about being here at school every day,” Duncan says. “It’s just an honor to be able to hang out with them.”

Duncan’s ultimate goal, she says, is helping her students realize how much fun learning can be. And, in their Bobs Award nominations of the longtime teacher, colleagues praised Duncan for her creativity, humility and commitment to crafting lessons that truly engage children in learning.

“Michele makes second grade a magical year for her students,” Courtney Otter, a fellow second-grade teacher at Sunset Hill, wrote in her nomination. “She works tirelessly to ensure that students grow academically, while also taking care of their emotional needs.”

For Duncan’s students, “it is always an amazing day in second grade,” wrote Kendra Luna, another Sunset Hill teacher. Luna’s son is a student of Duncan’s, she wrote in her nomination, and “he can’t stop talking about the wonderful things that happen in his second-grade classroom and what he is learning.”

The feeling, it seems, is mutual. Duncan’s favorite part of her job? “It’s the kids,” she says.

“When they get excited about something, they’ll say, ‘I can’t do this,’ and then, all of a sudden, ‘I did it!'” Duncan says. “I just love that moment when that lightbulb clicks for them and it’s like, ‘I can do this,’ and they begin to believe in themselves.”

Duncan said she’d likely put her $10,000 check toward visiting her daughter in college next year. The money will go a long way toward funding those road trips to Minnesota.

The Bobs Award began through the foundation by an anonymous group of community members who all share the same first name, Bob. The Lawrence Schools Foundation is a nonprofit organization that raises money benefiting students in the Lawrence school district.