Thank You, Teachers

Brian Sanford, a science teacher at Algonquin Middle School for the last 15 years, uses his penchant for art to create interactive games and activities to engage students in learning.

Lisha Linder always planned to teach first-grade – which she did – but for the past 22 years, she’s been an early childhood instructor at McHenry County College.

Dennis Anderson: Teachers will always have a profound impact on our lives

Under the guidance of co-teachers Ryan Starnes and Amy Ehman, Marlowe Middle School students recently raised more than $4,000 to help fix a broken water infiltration system in a village in Uganda.

Prairie Grove Junior High School students dissect sheep’s brains and build space ships as part of the school’s STEM curriculum, which is designed to allow students to discover what they are passionate about, its teacher said.

Suzanne Johnson is sometimes at Richmond-Burton High School as early as three in the morning in order to prep and bake fresh pastries for what has become a very popular pop-up bakery.

AVID teachers help students develop study skills, learn to overcome obstacles, and plan for the future: "From day one, I made a point to let them know that they are safe to struggle in my class and that I will be there to help,” one Woodstock teacher said.

Erin Harris teaches business at McHenry High School – in a classroom one floor above her father’s woodworking class. Her mother teaches preschool at Montini Catholic School in McHenry, and her sister is a teaching assistant at Johnsburg Junior High School.

Students come to school with “emotional backpacks” where they carry what they’ve been through, one Woodstock social worker said. What’s inside looks different for each student but it can all impact how well a child learns.

Crystal Lake teacher leader Mallory Keenan "works tirelessly with students, teachers, and administrators to bring best practice literacy instruction to our classrooms,” a district official said.

Bart Zadlo knew he needed to build strong relationships if he wanted to succeed at Woodstock North and give the Thunder tennis program a true identity. Zadlo's relationships has translated to his success as a teacher and a tennis coach.

A business teacher at Harvard High school started a business competition club that after just a few months, has grown into the largest club on campus.

Kristin Fries never experiences the “Sunday night dread” ahead of school restarting Monday morning, she said, because she’s always looking forward to seeing her students the next day at Jacobs High School in Algonquin.