6 days Ago By Hope Moural
WORTHINGTON — Bonnie Bents has taught Family and Consumer Sciences in Worthington ISD 518 for the past 25 years, but for that equal amount of time, she has also been learning. From her own students and fellow teachers alike, every day is an opportunity for Bents to learn something new. While the learning may not stop, Bents will step out of the classroom and into retirement at the end of the school year.
ADVERTISEMENT “I’m going to see where the wind takes me,” said Bents with a smile. "It'll just be a different aspect and I'm excited." Bents began her path toward teaching at Minnesota West Community & Technical College (then Worthington Community College) and graduated from South Dakota State University in Brookings.
She said her original career plan was to work in Extension due to a lifelong love of 4-H, but she became a teacher instead. “I really enjoy working with students and felt that teaching was an area where I could really make a difference,” Bents shared. She began her career with the Sioux Valley school district in Volga, South Dakota, and then accepted a teaching position at Round Lake before joining the Worthington school district 25 years ago.
In addition to being the FACS teacher at WHS, she has served as the FCCLA advisor for the past 25 years. Her classes cover everything from cooking to embroidery and sewing, food research, balancing a checkbook and even how to take care of babies, among many other subjects. Bents said one of her favorite things over the years has been having students come in and teach about their cultures and foods they prepare, saying “everybody learns” when that happens.
Because of her 4-H background, Bents said one of her main goals in the classroom is to not only keep food research fresh and fun, but to let students know there are career paths beyond a chef or teacher that exist for them to pursue. “I think that’s important, to tell them (careers) like a food researcher exist and are very interesting,” Bents said. ADVERTISEMENT While she was perhaps made to be in the classroom, now on her way out, Bents is equally excited for the next chapter of her life.
She and her husband Bob have three grown children and 11 grandchildren, and she is looking forward to spending more time with each of them. While she wasn’t sure about any big travel plans, Bents said she hopes to accomplish some home renovations as she has a passion for refurbishing items. She also said teaching might still be an aspect of her life in retirement.
“My teaching will never end. I’ll always be teaching and learning,” Bents said..
