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Austin High School band director Christoph Dundas was in the middle of class on Wednesday afternoon, when his three children came running into the room, unannounced, with a very special surprise.

Their dad was this year’s Austin Public Schools Teacher of the Year.

“Very surprising,” Dundas said with a smile. “I wasn’t expecting this at all. It’s a big honor and I’m glad I can make a difference for students.”

“When they came in and ran up and said they knew about this all day and kept it a secret — they did a great job,” he added, referring to his children.

Colleagues and APS administrators were also part of the Dundas family celebration as his students in the class he was teaching applauded the recognition.

For Dundas, having that kind of support from students is a big reason he teaches.

“Teaching for me is an opportunity maybe to connect with a student that maybe nobody else has connected with that day and that week,” Dundas said. “Make sure students know that there are people that care about what happens with them and what they’re doing in life on a day to day basis.”

Heather Ruzek, chair of the Teacher of the Year Committee and recipient of this same award in 2022, said that Dundas embodies the kind of teacher that works in the APS school system.

One that cares about what’s best for the student.

“We just want to recognize that he understands what our district needs — making connections with students and putting students and community No. 1,” Ruzek said. “He knew it was making connections with these students and using the music as a great vehicle to connect with them.”

Dundas, who was one of 29 nominees for this year’s award in Austin, will now have the chance to vie for the Minnesota Teacher of the Year award, which is announced in May.

Nominees for the state award must go through a portfolio process and be selected to move forward. Over the more than 20-year life of the program, Austin has had two nominees make it to the semifinalist stage and one make it to the final 10.

And while the award is nice, Dundas said it’s just as much about his fellow teachers in the district.

“I think we have a great teaching staff here in Austin,” Dundas said. “A lot of students that really are impacted by their teachers and a lot of teachers that care about students in the schools and the district.”

“I don’t think about it for myself,” he continued. “It’s just the teaching staff we have here in Austin and the difference we can make in a student’s life.”