Teacher of the Week: Stephanie Hamilton, second grade, Unity East Elementary, Philo

Anthony Zilis, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·2 min read

May 23—Email nominations to Anthony Zilis at

The 26th year of Stephanie Hamilton's teaching career is coming to a close, and she still can't imagine having pursued a different career.

The St. Joseph native spent the first 10 years of her career in Urbana School District 116 before heading over to Unity, where she teaches second grade at Unity East Elementary School.

the future is in my room every year. That's a big responsibility!

I wanted to do something where I would challenge myself. Education these days is very challenging. Every year is different. Every day is different. Every student is different.

This is a hard one. I try to make my lessons fun. If I can turn it into a game, I will. If I had to pick one project we do, though, I would say our animal/habitat dioramas. Each child picks an animal, researches on it, types up their report and then designs a diorama to go along with it. We do it toward the end of the year, and they look forward to it all year long.

a student "gets it." When that light bulb moment happens, you can see it in their eyes. I don't know who's prouder — me or them!

I also love the connections I build with my students. I share my life with them. They share theirs with me. I truly believe that by doing this, kids feel valued and feel special.

trying to make learning fun. I love to make up review games for practicing skills — whether it's on their Chromebooks playing Blooket or using buzzers playing Classroom Feud, which is played similar to Family Feud.

my family. We're very close. They have always been my biggest supporters. Any successes that I have are their successes, as well.

Mrs. Gertrude Smith. She taught at St. Joseph Grade School many moons ago. She was my third-grade teacher. She was the kindest, most patient teacher. She made learning exciting. That was the year that reading became my favorite subject. I have a plaque called "The Ten Commandments of the Classroom" that she gave me years ago (that had actually been hanging in her classroom until she retired). I have it hanging proudly in my classroom to this day.

I honestly can't imagine being anything else. My sister and cousins had to experience my "playing school" days even before they could sit up in their high chairs.