KHS EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

BY ASHLEY VANDERHOFF Design Executive and Ads & Business Executive

The Kane County Regional Office of Education (ROE) holds an annual Educator of the Year contest featuring educators from across the county. The contest aims to highlight nominated educational professionals who share a passion for education and are active members of their communities. This year, Kaneland High School’s nominee is math teacher and coach Daniel Ponczek.

Ponczek is known for teaching math as well as actively participating in the Kaneland community. He has taught at Kaneland for eight years, coached girls bowling for two years and volunteered his time to coach events like the annual Powderpuff game. His participation in his community has made him close to many KHS students and staff members.

“I’ve shared [the news of the nomination] with most of my [current] and former students who have [given me] awesome support. I absolutely love Kaneland, and I try to support it in any way I can,” Ponczek said.

Ponczek was originally unaware he was being nominated as KHS Educator of the Year. The surprise, he reflected on, was overwhelmingly positive.

“Some of my colleagues wrote a letter on my behalf on why they thought I should be the Educator of the Year,”

Ponczek said. “I got to see the original [letters] those teachers submitted, and it was very humbling to hear their perspectives.”

After an educator is nominated, they compete against all the nominated teachers from Kane County. Educators request letters from students, parents, community members or colleagues reflecting on experiences they shared with the nominee. The letters, which together form a booklet, are sent off and reviewed by the ROE. There are nine categories educators can win, including being named the overall Kane County Educator of the Year.

Senior Enza Liga had Ponczek as a teacher and was his student assistant for a semester.

“I think [Ponczek] is one of the most genuine teachers out there. As one of his former students, I know that he’ll make sure you feel comfortable and welcome in his class,” Liga said.

Ponczek feels both honored and grateful for a chance to be recognized.

“Every year I try to be a better teacher than I was the year before. I think [receiving this nomination is] great because this year I’m trying out some new things that I love in the classroom. It is awesome to feel recognized,” Ponczek said.

“I think it’s always important to have a place for students to go to ask specific questions. I feel like it’s a need. With STEP no longer happening, homeroom doesn’t seem to be enough. Having a place during all these lunch periods that they can come and go helps, whether it’s just for one small question or needing help on an entire unit,” Serviss said.

For math recovery, a student will go to rooms A201, A204 or the MultiTiered System of Supports walk-in lab during any of the four lunch periods and be given time to work through different math problems. Sophomore Evan Nordenberg started going to math recovery earlier in the year and has had a beneficial experience.

“Usually, you will go into the room with your own work and questions and a teacher will give you help or extra work based on what you are struggling with,” Nordenberg said.

Students can either be referred to math recovery or choose to go themselves. This program is essential for those who have failed past math classes and need to make up for lost credit. Thurman has seen significant growth in both student effort and work ethic.

“I have three students so far who have completed [assignments] from previous years and two students who have completed [assignments] from just last semester, and we are only on week three of semester two,” Thurman said. “There’s definitely been an increase in student confidence, and that helps build a [solid] work ethic.”

With more and more students getting necessary help, the math department hopes to see growth in the program in years to come. If students are seeking math assistance, they can go see Thurman during fourth or fifth periods or Serviss during sixth or seventh periods. Students can also visit the MTSS lab during second or eighth periods.