If you’ve ever walked the hallways at Lincoln Elementary School in DeKalb, you may have noticed a buzz among students, faculty and staff about the Iditarod.

Jenni Smith, a veteran educator who’s been teaching for about 25 years, said she always likes to remind her eighth-grade math students at Huntley Middle School in DeKalb that you can’t get from the bottom to the top-most landing without doing all the steps in between.

From our Thank You Teachers special section: Read the letters sent by students and parents to DeKalb County teachers

Multiple Kishwaukee College educators and staff recently received accolades for their efforts inside and out of the classroom.

Educators from across DeKalb County recently received accolades for their teaching at an annual awards ceremony meant to highlight local learning.

J.D. Oliva shares how his background as a wrestler and freelance documentary filmmaker and writer has informed his approach to teaching and coaching wrestling at DeKalb High School.

Deb Wheeler, one of three family members who work at South Prairie Elementary School in Sycamore, is getting ready to retire at the end of the school year. “[It’s] bittersweet because I do love what I do," she said.

Few educators wear as many hats as Mark Sykes, according to testimony from colleagues who recently sang his praises for an award recognition. Sykes, a 32-year veteran educator with DeKalb School District 428, has been named the 2025 Wirtz Award for Excellence in Education recipie

Sycamore educator Annette Keca is going to space. Sort of. To be more precise, she’s been selected as one of 80 educators across the country to participate in a prestigious Teacher Innovator Institute at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.