Parents, Students Prove Those Who Inspire, Teach

This week, children and their parents around the country will be giving gifts or participating in parent group-sponsored activities to say thank you to teachers as part of National Teacher Appreciation Week.

While these shows of appreciation are nice, sometimes the best gift for a teacher is to know that they touched a life and changed it. We asked parents, educators and students to tell us about their favorite teacher and what he or she did for them. 

Donna Vamvakas, mother of two students in the Frankfort School District 157-C

Favorite teacher: Miss Marcottee, her third-grade teacher at Worth Ridge School, Worth.

She was her favorite because ... : "She read the class The Peculiar Miss Pickett. This became my favorite childhood book and made me interested in reading. She was such a sweet teacher."

Brian Klene, SD157-C school board member

Favorite teacher: Mr. Miller, social science teacher at Lincoln-Way Central High School, New Lenox.

He was his favorite because ... : "Mr. Miller had a passion for the subject matter, was funny and always got to know his students. He inspired me to become a teacher and become involved in education."

JoEllen Wolsko, retiring Hickory Creek Middle School teacher

Favorite teacher: Many! But of recent teachers, Jeff Keller, chairman of the Lincoln-Way East High School math department and educator for Professional Learning Systems, a teacher professional development company.

He was her favorite because ... : "His delivery of lessons and teaching style engages his students in learning. He is a very witty man and holds your attention by his ability to make puns on the spot. His lessons are practical and can be adapted to each teacher's classroom. He is very resourceful and has a large 'bag of tricks and ideas' to use in the classroom. Additionally, many of my former students have visited me throughout the years and have loved and appreciated Jeff as their math teacher. He has the best interest of the students in mind when he instructs them."

Dianne Gallagher, substitute teacher for SD157-C and the parent of current and former SD157-C and Lincoln-Way School District 210 students

Favorite teacher: Mrs. Strauss, high school teacher for English, Shakespeare, the American novel and poetry.

She was her favorite because ... : "She was a tough, so most kids avoided her classes. However, she in taught me how to work, how to keep the bar high, and she had probably one of the driest, most amazing sense of humor I've ever seen in a teacher or anyone else."

Levi Ruby, eighth-grader at Hickory Creek Middle School

Favorite teacher: Bill Hermanson for third-grade at Chelsea Intermediate School.

He was his favorite because ... : "Mr. Hermanson was an awesome teacher because he managed to teach us effectively in a way that was fun.  He had an ongoing activity called 'tickets,' which you could earn or lose based on behavior, and this kept us all in line. Most of the time we were learning when we weren't even realizing it."