26-02-2025
Washington teacher is SF Teacher of the Year
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls School District has a new teacher of the year.
Monday night, Bruce Rekstad was named the winner of the 2025 Dr. John W. Harris Teacher of the Year Award.
Rekstad got his start as a teacher on the Crow Creek Reservation.
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'When I got the job at Crow Creek, fell in love with the Native people,' Rekstad said.
While he's made other career moves along the way, today he's an Očéti Šakówiŋ Owáuŋspe teacher at Washington High School.
The 74-year-old has been teaching Native American studies at the school for more than 20 years, something he's passionate about.
'We just had a poll with my students, and about 80 percent of our students, Native American population have never lived on a reservation. Some have never been to a reservation, but yet they're still Native American, so they know very little about their own culture, their own people,' Rekstad said.
Washington senior Rosalia Szameit says Rekstad is like a grandpa to her.
'He's my favorite, and he's so wonderful. He's always the happy person around. No matter how bad someone's day is, he can always make them start laughing or smiling and it's just pretty amazing,' Szameit said.
Rekstad says the students are what make the job so enjoyable.
'The energy that they bring forth…I am not a spring chicken and been at this for 33 years and wouldn't leave it for anything,' Rekstad said.
Rekstad was one of five finalists for the award.
He received a $4,000 check from Vern Eide.
The Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation awarded the other four finalists $1,000 each.
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