Spend a few minutes observing Sheckler Elementary School kindergarten teacher Melissa Grube while she is teaching and you immediately sense a passion for her students.

On Nov. 18, Grube received the November Teacher Salute Award from B104 radio.

Grube was nominated for the award by a morning kindergarten class student Alexis Richie, because of her amiable and fun personality and interaction with the students.

"She makes learning enjoyable for the students," wrote Alexis' mother, Amber Rehrig. "She makes Alexis laugh and learning more fun. She is silly with the kids and is very quick to respond to parents' questions and concerns. She is an amazing teacher."

Grube said she was surprised when she found out she had been nominated for the award. In fact, when B104 contacted her Nov. 11, she initially thought they were referring to another Melissa Grube.

"When she [colleague] explained that I was the winner and one of my students and her mother nominated me, I began to cry," Grube said.

A Pennsylvania State University graduate, Grube has taught at Sheckler for the past 13 years. Seven of those years have been spent in the kindergarten classroom.

Her love for teaching was sparked while volunteering as a girls cheerleading coach for the Bath East-Allen Youth Club, which led to a discovery that would soon place her in the classroom.

"I loved watching [the girls] learn, grow, have fun and accomplish their personal goals," she said. "We worked hard but always had fun. I learned so much about myself in those four short years and knew teaching was in my future."

According to Grube, it's the look on a child's face when he or she finally grasps a lesson that she finds the most rewarding part of teaching.

"It's the best feeling in the entire world," she said. "I also love hearing the little footsteps of kindergarteners running into my classroom, ready for another day of learning."

At the end of the school day, receiving the award is a humbling experience for Grube – one she will cherish for a lifetime.

"I felt honored that one of my students' parents would take time out of her busy day to nominate me," Grube said. "I felt overjoyed, blessed and proud to be a teacher."