The Golden Apple Foundation on May 7 surprised Kristina Lancaster, a fourth-grade teacher at Big Hollow Elementary School in Ingleside, with the prestigious Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Lancaster is one of 10 teacher award recipients in Illinois.

Following a highly competitive process, the 2026 teaching award recipients were selected from nearly 600 nominations of fourth- to eighth-grade teachers.

“Great teaching shapes how students learn, grow, and see what’s possible for their future,” said Alan Mather, president of The Golden Apple Foundation. “This year’s recipients are making that impact every day through their commitment to their students and their craft. As they join the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, they will support and mentor aspiring teachers in The Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators Program in Illinois, helping strengthen future teachers across the state.”

The Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching honor outstanding teachers for having lasting, positive effects on students’ lives and school communities. Teacher recipients demonstrate, in their teaching and results, a significant, positive impact on their students’ growth and learning.

In her fourth-grade classroom, Kristina Lancaster uses a cyclical approach to guarantee every student grows. She begins with a short pre-assessment to understand how students identify nonfiction text structures, studies their responses, and forms flexible groups based on specific needs.

Instruction then adjusts in real time, reteaching with simplified passages, reinforcing skills with grade-level texts, and challenging advanced learners to analyze multiple structures within a single piece. Through modeled think-alouds, partner discussions, and consistent use of a reader’s notebook chart, students move beyond spotting signal words to clearly explaining how structure shapes meaning. By the end of the cycle, they justify their reasoning and apply the skill independently. In addition to improving her students’ academic performance, Lancaster supports and encourages them to give back.

When a student revealed her collection of pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House in honor of her friend with a heart condition, Lancaster turned one student’s project into a class-wide service project. Her class organized a collection drive, which led to collecting nearly 75 pounds of pop tabs, nearly 90,000 tabs, that they were able to present to the family. Throughout the process, students were tasked with researching the Ronald McDonald House’s mission and Impact, and also shared ways their own families could contribute. Administrators at Big Hollow Elementary describe Lancaster as an exceptional educator committed to understanding how each student learns best.

Each award recipient receives a $5,000 cash award and a paid spring sabbatical, with Northwestern University generously providing coursework at no cost. Award recipients also become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who play an important role in preparing the next generation of teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs, which are dedicated to addressing the teacher shortage in Illinois.

The nomination period for the 2027 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership is open. All are invited to nominate exceptional pre-K to 3rd-grade teachers and pre-K-12 school leaders in Illinois at goldenapple.org/awards.