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Social studies teacher's love for job is contagious

Veteran Hawthorn Middle School North social studies teacher keeps classroom interactive

Inspiration seems to come from just about anything for Jason Kao, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Hawthorn Middle School North in Vernon Hills.

Take "Shave it Off," a clever music video Kao envisioned one day while listening to the radio on the drive home from school. Over the music of Taylor Swift's hit "Shake it Off," an obviously amused supporting cast of teachers, students, administrators - even the school mascot - tell Kao in no uncertain terms what they think of his goatee-growing effort.

"I thought it would be funny for 'No-Shave November' - I'd never grown out my facial hair before, so I figured this would be a good excuse" to return to a clean shaven look, said Kao, who has taught at the Hawthorn Elementary District 73 school for 14 years.

The entire school got a look when the video aired during morning announcements. Aside from its entertainment value, Kao said, students learn teachers like to have fun.

"History is interesting, especially when you have a teacher teaching in such a fun way," student Bella Pappano said.

Kao has taught in costume as Batman, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. He tries to make every class engaging. He blends anecdotes and tidbits from popular culture into daily lessons to illustrate points and make the material relevant and interesting. How else can you explain the lack of shuffling feet and absent stares among students during one of the last classes of the 2015-16 school year?

"He is so interactive with the kids, it helps hold their attention," said Jill Curry, of Vernon Hills, whose daughter, Kaela, was in Kao's social studies and literacy classes. "To keep a whole classroom engaged is hard, especially middle school."

The philosophy that learning doesn't have to be stuffy or boring is the core of Kao's approach. Because of the enthusiasm and novelty with which he delivers the lesson, and the appreciation shown by students and parents, Kao is featured by the Daily Herald as a top suburban teacher.

"I've observed Jason teach before, and the second the bell rings, he's 'on,'" said colleague Erin Brickman, who has known Kao for 12 years and worked with him for nine. "He has an amazing energy that pulls the kids into whatever they're learning about, whether it is the government or the Civil War."

Kao, a youthful-looking 38-year-old, was born in Taiwan, grew up in Galveston, Texas, and moved to the Chicago suburbs when he was 11.

Maintaining a contagious enthusiasm for the job and the subject matter - basically being "a big kid and student at heart" - has become Kao's hallmark.

"I am a history nerd. I try to make it fun, but also a valuable learning experience," he said.

Being a teacher means education doesn't end, according to Kao, who is on a perpetual lookout for interesting facts to engage students. The classroom's SMART Board gets a workout, with an abundance of visuals and pop culture references to illustrate the daily lesson.

"We show a lot of videos. I think making these people more human, they (students) realize history isn't just 200-year-old dead people," he said.

A visitor gets a sense of what he means during a class involving the Civil War.

"Today, we have a really cool lesson for you," Kao begins. Several aspects of the Civil War will be covered, including a journal kept by Luther Calvin Furst, a member of the Signal Corps during the war and a distant relative of one of Kao's students, Zander Schwartz.

Hands shoot up around the classroom when Kao asks why working in the Signal Corps would be risky. Next, he asks what the other side can legally do when a soldier falls in battle. Guns and ammunition can be removed but personal items, such as a journal, are off limits, Diego Corrales said. Later, the seventh-grader admits to being a huge fan of history and of Kao's methods.

"Besides being a fun teacher, he's very organized," Corrales said. "There's a lot of meticulous planning."

Another highlight is an eloquent and prophetic letter written July 14, 1861, by Sullivan Ballou, a major in the 2nd Rhode Island volunteers, to his wife, Sarah. It is accompanied by a clip from Ken Burns' award-winning film "The Civil War."

Kao distributes a printed handout of the letter that includes definitions of 13 words that might be tricky for seventh-graders. His request for students to share their favorite lines with their neighbors creates a hum of conversation.

In short order and through various means, the class learns a wealth of insightful information about the war, the battles and personalities. Who knew Ulysses S. Grant's given first name was Hiram?

"He makes it interesting every day," student Magdalena Zucek said of what she described as her favorite class. "It's not just writing, it's interaction."

A big trivia fan, Kao also coaches the school's Scholastic Bowl team, an academic competition between schools in which students use Jeopardy-style buzzers to answer questions on a range of subjects including the arts, sports and movies. The team won the regional tournament and defeated Barrington Station, which finished third in the state this year.

"As a coach, he stays very dedicated to the sport, and has a ton of knowledge on many of the topics, making it more interesting for his students," said Schwartz, who is a member of the team.

Kao's bucket list includes visiting all Major League ballparks. So far, he's been to about two-thirds of them and hopes to make it this summer to Yankee Stadium in New York, Target Field in Minneapolis and/or Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. First, though, is a drive to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

"I love to travel because I can bring in tidbits for the students," said Kao, who wants his students to share his love for learning and exploring.

"I love my job, and I think students pick up on that energy," he said.

Social studies teacher Jason Kao in costume at Hawthorn Middle School North in Vernon Hills. Being "a big kid and student at heart" has become Kao's hallmark. Courtesy of Jason Kao
  Social studies teacher Jason Kao highlights an area on the screen as he discusses the Civil War with his students at Hawthorn Middle School North in Hawthorn Elementary District 73 in Vernon Hills. Students say Kao makes learning about history fun. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
  Hawthorn Middle School North social studies teacher Jason Kao reads from a soldier's diary as he discusses the Civil War with his students in Hawthorn Elementary District 73 in Vernon Hills. Kao also coaches the school's Scholastic Bowl team. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
  Hawthorn Middle School North social studies teacher Jason Kao talks to seventh-grader Zander Schwartz about a diary written by one of Schwartz's ancestors. The diary was incorporated into a class lesson on the Civil War in Hawthorn Elementary District 73 in Vernon Hills. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
  A board in the room of social studies teacher Jason Kao at Hawthorn Middle School North in Vernon Hills. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
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