By Heart of Illinois ABC
BLOOMINGTON – Two Central Illinois educators have received regional teacher of the year honors, qualifying them for a statewide award.
The Illinois Board of Education announced Tuesday that Marricea Page, a fourth grade teacher at Peoria’s Dr. Maude A. Sanders Primary School, is teacher of the year in the west-central region.
Bloomington High School special education teacher Brandon Thornton is teacher of the year in the east-central region of the state.
Page and Thornton are finalists now to become Illinois Teacher of the Year, which will be announced October 21.
“Receiving a Teacher of the Year award has taken on new meaning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen Ayala.
“Our educators have surmounted radical shifts in how they teach and connect with students,” Ayala said in a prepared statement.
On his Facebook page, Thornton thanked his peers and his students.
“I am the person I am today because of all of you,” said Thornton.
Page’s principal, Dan Hiles, said she has the ability to make subject matter exciting and relatable to her students, while Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat noted Page focuses on students’ social and emotional needs before their academic needs.
“Having my students achieve academic success is very important, however, having my students feel safe, nurtured and loved is even more important.” said Page.
“This approach to teaching engages each student, regardless of ability, because I focus on each student as an individual with different backgrounds and cultures. I strive each day to be intentional in how I interact with my students, so they leave our class feeling better about themselves as a student, and as a person,” Page also said.
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