Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards
Randy Heite
Kingsley Elementary School
2300 Green Bay Road, Evanston
Kindergarten
“The first time I met Randy Heite was in the middle of the Amazon Rain Forest,” relates parent Leslie Peterson. “Of course, the various reptiles, dripping vines and exotic bird life were all made of cardboard and construction paper, but I would wager that every kindergartener in the room was convinced that they had traveled deep into the jungle.”
Heite is a kindergarten teacher at Kingsley Elementary School in Evanston. His creativity has been exciting students for ten years. “When visitors tour the building, they stop dead in their tracks outside his doorway,” says Kingsley Principal Michael Martin. “Almost slack jawed, they are mesmerized by the environment.”
“When a child learns something new about themselves, a classmate, or the world around them, I’m charged with excitement!” Heite exclaims. “I try to create an environment that allows children to obtain skills that they use throughout their lifetime,” he continues. A woodworking center in his classroom builds a foundation for learning about math and a greenhouse helps the children grow as they explore science.
One of Heite’s most innovative projects is his “Room 101 Diner.” Each year, he and his class take a month to plan and transform the classroom into a diner, and at the end of the project, more than 100 people visit to buy hot dogs, milkshakes and chips. The project is a favorite of students. “You can see the pride on their faces,” relates Alicia Liay von Bodman, a colleague.
“I believe that learning is a highly social activity and must involve the entire school community; students, parents, administrators and teachers,” says Heite. And those people are glad to have Heite around. “I’m not prone to toss around the word ‘love’ lightly,” exclaims Principal Martin, “but I can safely and proudly say that everyone loves Randy.”