May 19, 2025
Downers Grove

Avery Coonley teacher, students to be featured on NBC Nightly News

By SUBURBAN LIFE

Joe Schallmoser, physical education teacher and athletic director at the Avery Coonley School in Downers Grove, does a short workout in the driveway of a Downers Grove home. Schallmoser visited students each morning when the school was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. He tells students he misses them, tells a corny joke or two, and leads them through a short exercise. (Sandy Bressner)

DOWNERS GROVE - Joe Schallmoser, a Downers Grove resident, has been teaching physical education at The Avery Coonley School for 16 years. During his time at the school, he has found creative ways to approach teaching while also maintaining a connection with his students.

With a year full of unexpected challenges, Schallmoser was motivated more than ever to provide a source of joy to the ACS community.

When the pandemic hit near the end of the 2019-20 school year, in-person learning transitioned to online learning and schools struggled to navigate e-learning for their students.

With a mission to serve academically gifted children who are motivated to learn, The Avery Coonley School teachers, students and staff were quickly learning new ways to keep their students engaged.

Schallmoser discovered a unique way to keep in touch with his students despite the challenges of eLearning and the COVID-19 pandemic. If students couldn’t come to school, he would bring school to them.

Schallmoser took his love for bad dad jokes and fitness directly to the homes of his students. He brought his well-known sense of humor to promote exercise to bring happiness to families all around the Chicago area.

He visited 10 houses a day, totaling 700 burpees a week. He began each visit with a bad dad joke, asked his students to do 10 burpees with him, and before he left, he shared the same message of encouragement with each student, “We love you. We miss you. And we can’t wait to see you again.”

Schallmoser continues to be recognized for his hard work, creativity and dedication to his students during the pandemic. As a result, he and several Avery Coonley students will be featured on NBC Nightly News as a part of their teachers’ series, which will air next week.