Extra credit - Celebrating more top teachers
Margaret "Maggie" Haas teaches world geography, criminal justice and sociology at West Chicago Community High School. She's been in the classroom for 19 years - the past 14 in West Chicago.
Her division head, Lisa Willuweit, says Haas "is an outstanding teacher who connects with kids from freshmen to seniors and gets them excited about social studies ... She encourages them to become involved with their community through service projects and extracurricular clubs.
The constant stream of students in her room before and after school is a testament to their connection to her energy, enthusiasm and dedication."
The Daily Herald recently caught up with Haas to talk about how she tries to keep students engaged.
Q. We hear a lot these days about shortened attention spans. What's the secret to keeping students engaged in the classroom?
A. My job is equal parts teacher and entertainer. If I'm enthusiastic about what we're learning, I can get my students to go along with me on that day's curiosity voyage. High energy, plus bite-sized activities, keep my students busy and tuned in for the day.
Q. You teach a class in Criminal Justice that includes guest speakers and trips to the county courthouse. How do your students respond and what do you hope they come away with from the class?
A. Many Criminal Justice students want to enter the field after graduation, and guest speakers allow them to ask in-depth questions about how to prepare for their futures. The criminal justice system faces much public scrutiny, and my class, with the help of guest speakers, gives students a new perspective.
Q. How important is it to encourage students to be involved in service projects and extracurricular clubs?
A. Service projects, and by extension, extracurriculars, help connect with the socio-emotional side of students that the classroom setting does not address. Extracurriculars like WeGo Global give students opportunities to refine leadership skills while uncovering the causes behind global social problems, helping others as they create ways to make a difference.
Q. At the end of the day, how do you hope your students will remember their time at West Chicago?
A. I hope they see the world differently than before they entered my classroom. Whether it is not thinking of public restrooms the same again to "watching out for creepers," I want my students to see themselves as a piece of a greater societal puzzle they have a lifetime to solve.
Q. What's one thing about you that your students would be most surprised to learn?
A. As extroverted as I am during class, I'm actually an introvert. I put so much out there during the day that I can feel myself physically unwind when I'm alone in my classroom at day's end. That alone time helps me recharge so I'm ready to go 1st period.