District 41 teacher definition of dedication

Hadley Junior High School teacher Katie Luehrs is a force of productivity.

Besides teaching English language learners during the school day, she's a soccer coach for youngsters and works with the Glen Ellyn Children's Resource Center to provide an after-school program for kids.

And if that wasn't enough, she has gone to the doors of families of English language learners, inviting them to school events and scheduling conferences.

Luehrs is an overachiever and it's her dedication that's earning her public recognition. She is one of three teachers recently named Glen Ellyn Educator of the Year from Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41. Glenbard High School District 87 and Glen Ellyn Elementary District 89 also had educators recognized.

Luehrs, a Crystal Lake native, first spent a couple of years teaching math at Hadley. But even in that job, she worked with students learning English as a second language.

"I really enjoyed teaching the ESL kids in all my math classes and I actually went back to school to get my masters in bilingual, bicultural education," Luehrs said. "I think that I liked teaching ESL kids because they're very nervous about school in general, and new people and new places and so … my class was always kind of a safe place for them where they weren't worried. I can work with them even though they don't speak English fluently."

This is her first year as a full-time ESL teacher, and she teaches both math and writing.

But Luehrs isn't only interested in helping her students navigate their school; she also has been interested in learning where they come from and hearing their stories.

Last summer, she traveled to Thailand, where she worked with Burmese refugees and migrant schools.

"All my kids have different stories about being in different countries and I (had) never left the country, so I decided I kind of wanted to go and get a feel of where they were coming from," Luehrs said.

The trip helped her connect to students back home as she talked to them about her experience and asked them about their own backgrounds.

"(It) makes them think that I'm interested in learning about them and so it gives me … a bond with them," Luehrs said. "Even the kids that aren't from Thailand, I think that they still think it's cool that I want to go learn about other cultures and I want to learn about them."

Hadley Principal Steve Diveley said Luehrs has incredible passion and empathy for the English language learner program and for kids who are new to the country and to Hadley.

"She really understands the culture and the kids and works to (make) them part of our school," Diveley said.

Luehrs said she likes helping the kids integrate into the school and form friendships with other students and staff.

"A girl said to me yesterday she doesn't have any friends because she's so scared her English isn't great," she said. "And so I told her, 'well people don't care about that. It's OK.' And then we were talking to another girl and I was like, 'Do you care that her English isn't that great?' She's like, 'No.' I'm like, 'See, you guys can be friends.'"

Luehrs' goal for her English language learners is simple: She wants them to stop thinking they're not as smart as other kids just because they don't know a lot of English.

"I want them to know that they can do anything they want to do."