Contrary to popular belief, not all superheroes wear capes. In fact, there is one that can be found nearly every day inside room 2030, passionately discussing the articles of the Constitution, dissecting the complexities of the French Revolution, or giving students an in-depth breakdown of the latest current events to make the day’s headlines.

On May 9, during the 33rd annual Teachers’ Breakfast held in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Student Council announced that Social Studies teacher Kristin Pommerenke-Schenider had won the nomination for 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Pommerenke-Schneider, who has been working as an educator at Niles North since 1994, was one of five finalists nominated for the prestigious title alongside Troy Bennett (Social Studies), Jay Cha (English), Aaron Minkus (Social Studies), and Michael Moehlmann (Fine Arts). The Teachers’ Breakfast, hosted by members of the Student Council Events Committee and catered by students enrolled in culinary classes, represents an annual tradition designed to gather teachers together at the end of the school year and communally celebrate their accomplishments. 

Echoing the words of the voters, Student Council co-president and senior James Mahia delivered a message highlighting some of the most noteworthy qualities exhibited by Pommerenke-Schneider toward her students.

“[Pommerenke-Schneider’s] effective approach to learning through empathy to create a welcoming and inviting classroom environment, made the history classes students once thought were boring, enjoyable and even magical,” Mahia said. “In fact, she has been so memorable that she inspired some of her students to become history majors and even teachers themselves. And even when she is not even in the classroom, she has been an absolute rockstar in The Point helping kids with all things social studies.”

Ironically, Pommerenke-Schneider did not initially set off in search of becoming an educator. As someone passionate about world languages and history, she double majored in Russian and political science at Smith College for her bachelor’s degree and earned a master’s degree in history at the University of Illinois Chicago, determined to pursue a career in the field of international relations. However, after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union resulted in a hiring freeze for employment in global organizations, she was given the opportunity to become a teacher at Niles North in 1994, a job she has proudly kept ever since. 

“I had no idea I was going to be a teacher when I was [in high school],” Pommerenke-Schneider said. “My family participated in Rotary International exchanges for summers while I was growing up so I met friends from Germany, Belgium, and France. They lived with my family, and then I went and lived with a French family when I was 18 for a summer, so I always wanted to experience other peoples’ cultures. I had no dreams of being a teacher but through my experiences and with the end of the Cold War, I did some reevaluating and decided that I really wanted to be a teacher. Fortunately, I’ve only taught here at Niles North and have no dreams of moving anywhere else.”

Spearheading the organization of the 2024 Teacher of the Year events was Student Council Events Committee Head of Event Planning and junior Haya Dababneh, who elaborated on her experience serving as a member of Student Council. 

“I joined Student Council because I wanted to make a positive impact and voice the concerns of fellow students,” Dababneh said. “So far, my experience has been incredibly rewarding. It’s been filled with various projects I’ve worked on as well as collaborating with other students. It’s allowed me to overall develop leadership skills and make a meaningful connection with those around me.”

Each of the five finalists for Teacher of the Year was assigned a student who wrote and delivered a speech publicly honoring their work. Junior and former AP Gov student Oyinkansola Ajana acknowledged her gratitude for the impact Pommerenke-Schneider has had on her students in the Social Studies department while teaching classes such as Modern World History, AP Government and Politics, and AP European History.

“[Ms. Pommerenke] is an incredible woman,” Ajana said. “She’s always so positive, she’s always so happy. She pushes you, but she knows that you’re able to do it. AP Gov was also just a really fun class. I loved my class, I loved having her as my teacher. She’s the teacher you want. You want a teacher to support you and help you out, and that’s what Ms. Pommerenke does.”

After 30 years spent teaching at Niles North and witnessing a whirlwind of changes to the educational field during her tenure, Pommerenke-Schneider will retire from her position at the end of the 2027-2028 school year. Fundamentally, she strives to make her classroom discussion based to implore students to understand perspectives different from their own. When it comes to maintaining an ideal learning environment in a digital society, she emphasized that the core of education should remain student centered, encouraging them to become thoughtful citizens of the world. 

“At its core, I don’t think [education] needs to look much different,” Pommerenke-Schneider said, “It’s really about the students, and student relationships, and adults mentoring their students to be compassionate and care about the world. Yes, there’s new technology, yes, there’s artificial intelligence, which can be quite overwhelming and perhaps less personal, but you have to get away from the screens and have conversations with human beings. That’s what’s really important.”

Coming out of a pandemic, the Student Council Events Committee concluded the ceremony by expressing their appreciation to all staff members within the Niles North community for their service, including teachers, paraprofessionals, security guards, tutors, athletes, and friends. 

Even outside the context of Teacher Appreciation Week, acknowledging the countless sacrifices made by teachers to provide their students with a quality educational experience is an initiative that does not go unnoticed.