Middle School teacher named Woodland’s Gurnee Teacher of the Year

GURNEE – Eighth grade social studies teacher Joy Barbknecht from Woodland District 50 has been named one of the 2021 Gurnee Teachers of the Year.

Barbknecht; Robyn Kubik, the award winner from Warren Township High School District 121; and Erik Sator and Len Wojciechowicz, the award winners from Gurnee District 56, were recognized by the village at the May 17 board meeting with plaques and grants for $1,000 from the Henderson Foundation.

Barbknecht has been working at Woodland Middle School since 2002 as an eighth grade social studies teacher. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico and a master’s degree from National Louis University.

“I love teaching eighth graders because they are at a crossroads in their lives, and I understand how important this year is on their educational journey,” Barbknecht said. “This is where they start to make choices for their future, and I want to play an important role guiding them to make good choices for themselves, while teaching them to work hard and be kind to others.”

Woodland opened its Teacher of the Year nomination period in February. Staff, students, families and community members were invited to submit nominations for teachers and certified staff who go above and beyond to support Woodland’s learning community and who truly embrace the #LifeintheW spirit. Almost 500 nominations were received in a matter of a few weeks.

Nomination forms submitted for Barbknecht made it clear she is a happy and optimistic educator. The nominations said Barbknecht brings a positive attitude to the classroom and it quickly spreads to her students, she makes strong connections with her students, and builds trust easily by giving her students a voice in their education and the day-to-day operation of the classroom.

Barbknecht credits her success at Woodland to being part of a wonderful team that supports one another.

Barbknecht was surprised with the announcement during a team meeting when she thought middle school administrators would be giving her in-person and virtual eighth grade students an update about year-end activities. When her family members joined the Zoom call and other district leaders started walking in with flowers and balloons, Barbknecht began to understand the meeting was to celebrate her accomplishment.

“We are extremely proud of Mrs. Barbknecht on her selection as the village of Gurnee Teacher of the Year,” Woodland Middle School Principal Tiffany Drake said. “I had the pleasure of standing in front of the eighth graders on her team to inform them that their beloved teacher is the best in town, and the smiles and applause from her students made for a memorable moment. Congratulations to Joy on this well-deserved recognition and thank you for all you do for your students.”

Woodland selects a school winner from each of the five schools in the district. This year’s other finalists were Amber Beutel, Woodland Primary; Katie Howell, Woodland Elementary East; Jeb Fleming, Woodland Elementary West; and Jane Weiland, Woodland Intermediate.

“This is one of our favorite celebrations each year, but it takes on an extra special significance this year,” Woodland District 50 Superintendent Lori Casey said. “Woodland teachers had to pivot and learn a whole new way of delivering instruction and figure out how to make connections remotely in the face of global health crisis. If ever there was a year to celebrate the accomplishments of teachers and recognize their amazing contributions to our learning community, this is that year. Thank you to the village of Gurnee and the Henderson Foundation for giving us the framework and tools to recognize Joy Barbknecht and all of the educators that were nominated for this award.”

Sator and Wojciechowicz are physical education teachers at Spaulding School with more than 55 years of combined service to the district. Beyond traditional events such as Jump Rope for Heart and Field Day, Wojeciechowicz and Sator host a Turkey Trot, Mile Run, Bowling Night and Dance Night, which is so well-attended they need to use the Warren Township High School gym as the site. The two teachers were innovative in the use of iPads for PE, including having students take photos of one another’s forms and positions during tumbling exercises.

Gurnee District 56 Superintendent Colleen Pacatte said both teachers were nominated as a pair because the two are “inseparable.”

“If you have ever taken a PE class at Spaulding, you have had Mr. Sator and Mr. Wojo,” Pacatte said. “They have integrated reading and math skills into their physical education curriculum in innovative ways and are always seeking new ways to improve the experience for students. The collaboration between these two longtime teachers is an exemplar for any teacher, at any grade level, seeking to partner or collaborate with a colleague.”

Kubik has served in education for 16 years, including teaching at Warren Township High School for the past 14 years.

“I have been fortunate to spend the majority of my time at Warren teaching psychology,” Kubik said. “It is a course that I believe every student who takes it will benefit from. Psychology allows students to learn about themselves, how their brain works and how and why they act certain ways. The everyday connections that students can make to our course is infinite.”

“For 14 years, Robyn Kubik has been an incredibly powerful social studies teacher for Warren Township High School,” District 121 Superintendent John Ahlgrim said. “She commits endless hours of preparation to ensure her students always have the tools they need for success in her psychology classes. Students benefit greatly from Robyn’s positive outlook, energy and enthusiasm in the classroom. Robyn’s commitment to continuous improvement for her courses and instructional practices are exemplary for our WTHS community. We are so proud to help recognize her as our Gurnee Teacher of the Year.”

The village of Gurnee started the Teacher of the Year program in 2014.