Lovell teacher Joni Geiser retires after 38 years

Longtime Lovell Elementary School teacher Joni Geiser is completing the final days of her educational career this week after 38 years in the classroom.

She was born and raised in Nebraska and always enjoyed working with kids, which led her to pursue a degree in elementary education.

Geiser went to college on a volleyball scholarship, and after completing the first couple of years, she married her husband, Bob, and the two went to the University of Wyoming.

After graduating, the couple started their journey, teaching in Hugo, Colorado. They were there for four years at a small K-12 school before landing in Lovell.

The couple almost ended up in Alaska when an opportunity presented itself for employment, but the avid sports fans had visited the Big Horn Basin for a ball tournament and loved the area and looked for openings here.

Joni taught third grade in her first year at LES, then spent 30 years at the first-grade level before finishing out her final three years in kindergarten.

“I realized how long I had actually been here when I started noticing that I was teaching children of people I taught when they were in first grade,” Geiser jokingly said. “Sometimes I think I am not old enough to retire, but it does weigh on you after a while.”

She explained it as an emotional exhaustion at the end of the days that makes teaching hard.

“It is hard teaching,” she said. “Today, you are expected to meet all of the demands, while being a nurse, counselor, data collector, report card filler outer and do everything.”

But, even as hard as it was, she said it was the kids that made it worthwhile.

“I look back and see their improvements from where they started to where they have come,” she said. “I see a lot of growth at this age, and it is so rewarding.”

When asked what her plans would be after retirement, she said, “A whole lot of nothing.”

She and Bob plan on doing some projects around their home and continue gardening. They also plan on taking a few trips they have been looking forward to for a long time.

“The rest of the time we will be chasing around grandkids,” she said. “We have number seven on the way, and we are lucky they all live nearby.”

Their daughter Alyssa lives in Powell with two, daughter Kelsey in Sheridan with two and son Grant in Lovell with two and one on the way.

“One thing that stood out each time I visited her classroom is that she is a master teacher,” LES principal Christopher Jensen said. “She gave her students her all every day and my only regret with Mrs. Geiser retiring is that I did not have more time to work with her.”

Superintendent Doug Hazen said, “First, I think something that needs to be noted and celebrated is her 34 years of service to students in the district. That is nothing short of amazing, and the type of impact she was able to make, literally teaching hundreds of students, is truly inspiring.”

He said her presence at school will be missed by her colleagues, and the example she set will continue even when she is gone. She served as a mentor to countless teachers, leading by example, Hazen said, and she also understood the importance of teaching “our youngest learners.”

“I think it is one of the most important responsibilities in education,” Hazen added. “Mrs. Geiser laid the foundation for strong character, confidence and curiosity. She should be commended for an outstanding career, and we wish her all the best in retirement.”

Asked if she had any parting advice for teachers or those considering becoming teachers, she said, “Everything is about relationships. If you build relationships with kids, you’re going to have success. That is key in my book.”