La Salle-Peru High School teacher Alexandra West shares her own life experiences, from her travels to her life experiences as a woman of color, to help students connect and share their own stories to better understand multicultural literature.

As a student, she kept color-coded notes so, yes, Brittany Rynkewicz expects her students to be diligent. But the St. Bede English teacher also wants her kids to unlock their imagination and have fun.

After retiring after 35 years teaching at La Salle-Peru High School in May 2021, Bill Booker has taken on a part time job teaching PE three days a week at Mendota Holy Cross

Sally Etzenbach, a speech-language pathologist at Northview Elementary, helps autism students with limited verbal communication find their voice.

Adrianne Espinoza-Zamora, a Mendota High School Spanish teacher, fulfilled her childhood dream to become a teacher.

For Earlville teacher/coach Shannon Cook, patience has proven to be the key to success.

Dennis Anderson: Thank You, Teachers is our way of acknowledging the value these educators have in our lives.

Eye On Illinois: Thank a teacher who shaped your life, but also make time for the ones shaping other lives right this minute. Thank those who take jobs in districts that don’t pay as well, or pursue specialty areas where shortages are most extreme.

Davis originally begin her higher education wanting to be a social worker to “save the world.” One of the first friends she made knew sign language which peaked her interest in learning from him.