Three exceptional McHenry County teachers are applauded for leading by example in their districts.

Exceptional teacher: Shilo DeYoung, 8th Grade Special Education, Teacher, Special Education, Team Leader, Heineman Middle School, Algonquin, District 158
Nominated by: Brian Faulkner, Assistant Principal

“Mrs. DeYoung continually goes above and beyond what is expected,” according to Brian Faulkner, assistant principal. “She never asks to be recognized or expects accolades; she simply does what’s best for students because it’s the right thing to do. She is devoted to educating the whole child. She has mentored many special education teachers on our staff and because of that, our special education team is the strongest team I’ve ever seen or worked with. DeYoung’s contributions have made Heineman Middle School a strong school and a great place to learn.”

DeYoung: Making a Difference
Shilo DeYoung, a South Elgin resident, began teaching 13 years ago. She was very much inspired by the educators who taught her brother. “I have a brother who is mentally retarded,” she said. “He received such an incredible education in high school. His teachers and programming were an inspiration to me. I knew I wanted to be a teacher and could make a difference if I taught students with disabilities.”

Being an educator, she said, has a lot to do with personality. “It is not always the education that makes the difference with kids,” she explained. “They can always tell if you truly care about them. They know they have someone in their day that will listen and help in any way possible.

“Knowing that I have many students that see me as that person makes it worthwhile.”

The 8th grade teacher enjoys watching her students graduate to become freshmen. “There is not a year that goes by that I don’t get emotional about them starting that new journey,” she admitted. “I watch them grow and change and prepare them for this new experience.”

Heineman Middle School in Algonquin has a lot to offer to students, parents and faculty, according to DeYoung. “The kids are [great],” she said. “The parents that I work with are supportive and involved. Our school is beautiful and has so much to offer. The staff and administration is all top notch.”

For the next generation of teachers, DeYoung suggests figuring out what age group is the best fit, which means spending time with different grade levels. Most importantly, “Teach because you know you will love it,” she said.

When she’s not teaching, DeYoung enjoys exercising, bike riding, scrap booking and spending time with family.

Exceptional Teacher: Rick Knapp, Second Grade Teacher, Algonquin Road School, Fox River Grove, District 3
Nominated by: Karen Machroli, Elementary Principal

“Mr. Knapp is our most veteran teacher with 35 years experience as a second grade teacher,” said Karen Machroli, elementary principal. “Rick is more than just a teacher – he is a friend to all and a positive male role model for the students that he is involved with each day. Some of us question if he ever goes home! He is in his room around 5 a.m. each day, and can be counted on to open the doors for the voting judges on election days or shoveling the exterior entrances for the students and staff (ARS has 22 exterior entrances!).”

He won’t accept any monetary payment for these extra services, but will choose one additional purchase for his grade level as a reward. “One year, he requested computer tables for his two second grade teammates,” Machroli said. “More recently, all of the second graders were rewarded with an additional field trip, compliments of Mr. Knapp.”

What do the kids think of him? Machroli said she experienced it first hand early in her career at ARS. “When I first began my principalship at ARS, the staff was in the Fox Fest parade. While riding along, [I] heard many children chant, ‘There’s Mr. Knapp!’ At that time, I couldn’t help thinking that he was very special to the children in Fox River Grove.”

Whether it’s playing and refereeing games with students during recess or finding ways to add to the quality of education at ARS, Knapp has a big shoes to fill when he retires. “One day, a former student of his was passing by the front office, noticed the second graders outdoors, and commented, “I just love Mr. Knapp!”  All of us at ARS feel the same way and hope that he stays with us to celebrate 50 years as one of our second grade teachers.”

Knapp: It’s the Little Things
Rick Knapp just wrapped up his 35th year as an educator, a career path that made sense to him for as long as he can remember. “I always enjoyed working with little kids and decided to pursue elementary education,” he said.

Having taught before smart boards and the Internet, Knapp admits technology has been one of the challenges and opportunities of being a teacher. “New technology is an important part of the curriculum [and it just keeps evolving],” he said.

But it’s the human element, he said, that has always been a key factor in his teaching method. “I try to work with kids who have emotional or social issues by guiding them in understanding that they can do good things in their lifetime,” he said. “I try to make sure they realize I’m there for them and am trying to help them.”

As for going the extra mile in the school building, Knapp modestly explained, “I think it’s just part of my nature.”

Though he lives in Crystal Lake, Knapp says he enjoys a good relationship with the Fox River Grove community. “It’s a small town where there is still a family rapport, which only helps as a teacher working with children and their parents,” he said. “It’s a positive and healthy atmosphere. It’s been that way from the start and why I stayed here for so long.”

After 35  years, Knapp finds himself teaching the children of former students who are thrilled their children can experience his second grade class.

He also receives a lot of fan mail and occasional visits from former students. “Things that mean a lot to me are when former students come back and tell me how much they enjoyed my class,” he said. “[Over the years, I’ve realized it’s] not the big things, it’s the little things you do that show you care [that make the biggest impact].”

Even the kids that Knapp said kept him on his toes the most have very positive things to say about him, he said.

For young teachers, this veteran’s advice is simple, but likely challenging for rookies: “Stay calm [and be] patient,” he said. “You’re reaction to situations makes a huge impact on students.”

In his spare time, Knapp enjoys gardening, home remodeling and traveling.

Exceptional Teacher: Patric Murphy, Chief Instructor, Kon Jo Karate Club, Fox River Grove and Cary Park District, Retired Cary Teacher
Nominated by: Dr. Deanne Schmidt, D.D.S.

“Mr. Murphy truly cares about his students and has a sincere passion for teaching those with learning differences and special needs,” said Dr. Deanne Schmidt of Schmidt Orthodontics in Cary and Algonquin. “His students respond to him with his fun sense of humor and he enables them to achieve success, confidence and self-discipline with each class that he teaches.  I have experienced this over the past eight years with my own two children, who are now black belts.”

Murphy: Teachers are Heroes
Patric Murphy retired two years ago after teaching in Cary for 33 years, but the teaching bug still has a hold on him.

“About 12 years ago, I taught a great [third-grader] who had cerebral palsy,” he recalled. “He did exercises that were prescribed by the occupational therapist. The exercises were things like lifting up a leg or extending an arm. I told the young man that those were karate moves. I made a deal with the lad and told him that if he enrolled in the karate class for students with special needs, I would be in the class as an assistant teacher. I was a brown belt at the time.”

The duo joined the class together and was met with great enthusiasm and encouragement. “Soon, I became the teacher of the class and the students started to advance in rank,” he said. “Then, more students started to enroll in the class and I started to get the reputation as a good karate teacher. Then, I earned my black belt and started teaching other karate classes. Next, I became partners with two other karate teachers and we started a karate club. A year later, I owned the karate club and we continued to grow.”

Today, Murphy runs karate programs in the Cary Park District and at Kon Jo Karate Club (748 Northwest Hwy.) in Fox River Grove. He also teaches an accredited karate class at McHenry County College.

“It is ironic – when I volunteered to be an assistant teacher for the karate class for students with special needs, I thought I was doing a favor for a little boy with cerebral palsy,” he said. “However, it turned out that he was doing me a favor.”

He reflects fondly on his long tenure as a teacher. “The longer you teach, the greater the rewards, because the students you taught grow up and become outstanding adults,” he said. “I think a big challenge for teachers is to maintain a positive outlook. Teachers need to believe in themselves. They can never give up. They must continue to strive to bring out the best in their students.”

Working with different abilities has become a source of inspiration for Murphy, he said. “These children are heroes,” he said. “They face and overcome obstacles that are too difficult for me to imagine. When they succeed, I get inspired.

“Teaching the class for students with different abilities is exciting,” he added. “Through Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association (NISRA), we have a class for wheelchair students taught by Brian Melhorn, who has spina bifida and is in a wheelchair. Three different karate clubs told him that he couldn’t do karate because he was in a wheelchair. Then he found my club and we were honored to have him. Now he’s a black belt and teaching karate to students in wheelchairs.”

Murphy’s impact on his students spans generations and stands the test of time. “Once, the mother of one of my third grade students told me that she asked her child what she had learned from Mr. Murphy,” he recalled. “The little girl replied, ‘I learned to believe in myself.’ That was my goal.”

Even now, Murphy regularly receives e-mails from former students thanking him for his influence.

His advice to aspiring and young teachers is to be proud of their role in the school and community. “Teachers are heroes,” he said. “They face and deal with every problem in the community. Be student-centered. Don’t think of yourself as teaching math or science. Think of yourself as teaching children. The teacher teaches respect, self-control, effort and love.”

A Cary resident, Murphy said he has been “in love with the Cary/Grove community for 36 years. The people are friendly and optimistic.”

He also enjoys the family atmosphere. “When a child tests for his or her karate belt, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, and even neighbors will show up and cheer for that little boy or girl,” he said.

Sidebar: It Takes a Village
When tasked with picking one outstanding teacher in McHenry Elementary District 15, Cherie Rickert, director of human resources, struggled. “We have many wonderful staff members [here],” she said. “Of course, the staff that is closest to our children and directly responsible for their success is our teachers, ably supported by a talented group of support staff and building administrators.”

But teachers are just one piece of the educational puzzle, she noted. “We must not forget however to recognize the staff who also support our children though removed from the classroom, which include our food service, secretarial and playground staff; a dedicated custodial staff; bus drivers and transportation staff; health support, technology, translators; volunteers and substitute support; and finally, supporting all the operations of the district is the support and administrative staff in the Board of Education office, led by the superintendent,” she continued.

Though it largely goes unnoticed by school children, the Board of Education provides “ongoing support, wisdom and encouragement in the administration of best practices in the education of the children in District 15,” Rickert added. “Hillary Clinton is remembered for [popularizing] the phrase: ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ Well, in a school district, it also takes the able hands of many to raise a group of children academically.”