Martha Kaiser
Manchester Elementary School, Poplar Grove, IL
Fourth grade

B.S. | Northern Illinois University
M.S. | National Lewis University

Martha Kaiser knew from age eight that she was going to be a teacher. It’s a choice the 27-year teaching veteran has never regretted.

To Kaiser, her classroom is her “home away from home,” where each student is given a silver star on the first day of class, and referred to as a “Shining Star” from that point onward. She has high expectations for her kids, which she helps them meet through programs such as “Lunch Bunch,” a lunchtime tutoring session open to all her students, or “Homework Help,” where she stays after school 45 minutes each day to assist children who need it.

During class, Kaiser brings subjects to life by having students become teachers: a history lesson, for example, might include children pantomiming an event that the rest of the class has to interpret.

“Her teaching methods reach each student’s learning style through drama, artwork, individualized work contracts or hands-on experimentation,” says Rita Lee, a reading assistant at Manchester whose children have been Kaiser’s students. “She challenges her students to reach for the stars.”

As Kaiser nears the end of her teaching career, she is investigating having retired teachers work as mentors in her district. If that happens, she will be right there, ready to help.