IVCC’s Vince Brolley says teaching honor ‘is like getting praised for eating ice cream’
Teaching dual credit courses for Illinois Valley Community College puts Vince Brolley back in high school, where he feels right at home.
Trinity Catholic’s Dominic Giacobazzi turned a passion for sports into teaching
Trinity Catholic Academy’s Dominic Giacobazzi had his heart set on being an athletic trainer, but a funny thing happened on the way to the NFL. He became a Catholic school teacher.
From teenage rebel to respected teacher: Fisher uses auto shop to prepare students for the workforce, for life
He was a rebellious student and “slacker” until he stumbled into auto shop. Now, La Salle-Peru High School’s Mike Fisher runs the auto shop to teach his students accountability, professionalism.
SOAR teacher Samantha Munks wants students to succeed, no matter what challenges they face
Samantha Munks, a SOAR (Students Obtaining Achievement and Responsibility) high school teacher in Peru, pushes her students to be their best by inspiring them to dream and supporting them by meeting them at their level.
Thank You Teacher Letters 2025: News Tribune
Read our letters submitted by students and parents to News Tribune for our 2025 Thank You Teachers special edition
Putnam County’s Joshua Curry uses art as a gateway to open opportunities for students
Putnam County High School art teacher Joshua Curry believes cultivating a student’s creativity is important. He has a way of encouraging risk taking and instilling confidence in students.
Bringing the ‘real world’ into her classroom, L-P teacher creates 1 of a kind forensics course
La Salle-Peru High School’s Nancy Kochis class is the only of its kind offered at L-P, covering a wide range of topics including fingerprinting, fiber analysis, arson, trace evidence analysis and blood spatter patterns.