Rockford Teacher Honored for Joyful Service to Students and Families

97ZOk's Teacher of the Week, inspired by her teacher in the 5th grade, brings a happy heart into her classroom every day and extends that spirit in service to her students' entire families.

97ZOK Teacher of the Week

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Courtney Ziegler from Riverdahl Elementary School in Rockford

Beth Gates nominated Courtney for this honor, she writes,

Mrs. Ziegler is a 1st-grade teacher who has been teaching for over 15 years in RPS 205. There are plenty of stories about burned-out teachers but she is definitely NOT one of them. My daughter enjoys going to her class each day. Most recently Mrs. Ziegler as an adult got the Jury Duty summons most people don't want to see, but she went and was picked to sit on a jury. So while for herself she had to do the normal actions of being called off work to sit on a jury. She took the time to let us parents know what was going on, assure us that she had all the lesson plans lined up for the substitute teacher, and that it would likely be about a week spread over a portion of 2 weeks. Since the school start time is early enough she even came into school to let the students know what would be happening before heading to the first day of sitting on the jury she was picked for. My daughter over that weekend in between asked that I send a note through the messaging app to her teacher to let her know that she missed her. The fact that my 6-year-old daughter thought about her teacher and wanted to send her a note on a day she wasn't in school just tells me how much my daughter enjoys her time in class with Mrs. Ziegler. As a parent, I am impressed with her knowledge and ability to help us parents navigate the different things our kids might need. My daughter receives in-school speech therapy that she is taken out of class for, it is so much time each week that has been agreed upon. Mrs. Ziegler ensures my husband and I know if she isn't being taken for the allotted time each week and if she needs to be taken out at what is her nonstandard time that if she misses something like library or a special activity the class is doing, that my daughter still gets that opportunity. Mrs. Ziegler cares for her students.

During our conversation with Courtney, we learned exactly what inspired her to be the kind of teacher she is today.

97ZOK Teacher of the Week-Courtney Ziegler from Riverdahl Elementary in Rockford by Steve Shannon

As Teacher of the Week, Courtney was surprised with a cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes and money to spend at WM Day Spa Salon.

If you would like to nominate your favorite teacher, click HERE.

Click HERE to see past Teachers of the Week.