Teacher Tuesday: MCC’s Mr. Lundberg, a dozen years of cultivating the future.

Pete Lundberg poses with his fifth graders from MCC Upper Elementary.

Teacher Tuesday: MCC’s Mr. Lundberg, a dozen years of cultivating the future.

Teacher Tuesday is a presentation of Metalworks. Metalworks is a small, family-run company with facilities located in Ludington and Manistee, manufacturing metal office filing systems. Be sure to show your support by liking the Metalworks Facebook page here.

By Kate Krieger, MCP Staff Writer.

SCOTTVILLE – Pete Lundberg grew up on the family farm in southern Riverton Township where he spent his childhood and many years of his adult life working on the farm alongside his parents and his brothers. At the age of 49, after raising six children with his wife Peri, Pete decided to go to college and become a teacher. 

“I spent 15 years coaching little league baseball and softball,” Lundberg said. “My wife and I also spent several years leading youth groups at our church when our children were younger. I have always enjoyed working with children and had thought about teaching for many years before I finally did it.”

A 1973 graduate of Mason County Central High School and a 2008 graduate of Ferris State University, Lundberg was hired at MCC, where he has spent 12 years in the classroom, four as an educational assistant, one year as a fourth grade teacher and eight years as a fifth grade teacher. 

“My hope was fulfilled to be able to teach at MCC,” he said. “All of my children graduated from MCC. I graduated from Ferris State in 2008. I was able to take all my classes at West Shore Community College or online through a partnership with WSCC and Ferris.”

With 12 years at MCC almost completed, Lundberg has decided to retire from teaching.

“Our six children and 16 grandkids (number 16 was just recently born) are spread throughout the country,” he said. “We plan on spending a lot of our time visiting them. I will also be doing some volunteer work in the future and whatever else might come along.”

Although retiring this spring will look a lot different because of the school building closures pertaining to the coronavirus, Lundberg is still teaching as usual, just in a different capacity.

“This is definitely not the way I wanted to end my teaching career,” he said. “Our school leadership and staff are doing a great job putting together online learning and paper packet learning for our students. I am going to miss not being able to see my students on the last day of school and making an official goodbye.”

Even though his students will be finishing out his last year teaching remotely, Lundberg still knows that seeing his students succeed wherever they are learning from is important and it is his top priority as he makes his exit from the MCC family.

“Watching my students succeed is my favorite thing about teaching,” he said. “When they accomplish a task they didn’t think they could do and to share that with me was very fulfilling. I like trying different ways of motivating them to do their best and see them succeed. I loved playing games with the students at recess, especially dodge ball. I took several shots in the head over the years. I had three homerooms that read over 1,000 books combined which thrilled me knowing that when they read, they become self learners. Connecting with a student that has not been really successful in the past and see that student grow and gain confidence in is the best feeling ever. I take testing very seriously and loved to see students give all out efforts on their tests meeting their personal goals.”

Lundberg said he is going to miss his co-workers at MCC; they have become more like a family to him over the years.

“I have had the privilege to work with an awesome group of people over the last 12 years,” he said. “I used many of their ideas in my classroom, especially the first couple years. To my students, I would say you are the best. I was blessed with so many outstanding students. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with them over the years. Close to one third of the students at

the Upper Elementary School this year are school of choice students which I think shows what kind of reputation our school and staff has.”

Lundberg also said he believes that there is something that is missing sometimes in the schools, that he believes should possibly be present.

“I would personally like to see volunteer prayer allowed in schools,” he said. “It has been a very important part of our country’s heritage and I think students should realize that. Teachers shouldn’t have to be on pins and needles when this is brought up in the classroom. Remember that is my personal opinion.”

Even going back to school at an older age, Lundberg followed his heart and became a teacher. He said he believes others should look inside themselves and really follow their passions.

“I would say for students who are thinking about becoming teacher to simply follow their heart,” he said. “If that desire keeps coming up then they should pursue teaching as a career.”

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