Bienen School alumna Elizabeth Bennett (04) and four other high school teachers who had “transformative effects” on the lives of graduating Northwestern seniors they once taught have received Northwestern University Distinguished Secondary Teacher Awards.
The distinguished teachers joined their former students to be recognized during the fifth annual awards ceremony on June 18 and at commencement on June 19.
The Northwestern University Distinguished Secondary Teacher Awards honor high school teachers who have touched the lives of Northwestern students and carry a reward of $2,500 for each teacher and $2,500 for each of their schools.
In selecting the winners, the selection committee considered essays from seniors about their former high school teachers. They also considered portfolios submitted by the nominated teachers that included an explanation of their teaching philosophy and letters of recommendation. Bennett is the only Illinois award winner for 2015.
As orchestra teacher at Buffalo Grove High School, Bennett has earned the nickname “Mom” as a term of endearment.
Samantha Bulmash, a Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences graduating senior who nominated Bennett for the award, said, “She has become ‘Mom’ to hundreds of students. It takes an exceptional type of person to earn such an affectionate nickname from ‘angsty’ teenagers, and she earned it without even realizing it.”
A teacher at Buffalo Grove for nearly seven years, Bennett was the recipient of the 2008 Illinois Emerging Teacher Leader Award and the 2014 recipient of the University of Chicago’s Educator of the Year Award.
Bulmash said Bennett manages to achieve that perfect balance between education and pleasure, strictness and friendliness, precision and creativity.
“Everything about Mrs. Bennett demonstrates her love for music: her speech, her stories, her behavior, even her clothing -- she is extremely proud of her ‘Bach socks,’” Bulmash said. “She implemented an orchestra service hour requirement so that we can give back to our community and bring the joy of music to younger students or other community members.”
Bennett embraces the “Mom” nickname – especially now.
“After becoming a ‘real’ mom, I’ve learned that this craft of teaching is very special and a gift not to be taken for granted,” Bennett said. “Each day there are parents who entrust their children to me, to mold their young minds and help them discover the world around them and how to not only survive in it, but thrive.”
Bennett earned her bachelor’s degree in music education and bassoon performance from the Bienen School of Music and her master’s degree from Concordia University in Wisconsin.
The Northwestern University Distinguished Secondary Teacher Awards are co-sponsored by the Associated Student Government and the Office of the President. Eugene Lowe, assistant to Northwestern President Morton Schapiro and senior lecturer in religious studies, chaired the 2015 selection committee. The committee reviews student nominations and teacher portfolios to select a group of finalists. Finalists are interviewed with the assistance of NUIT Academic and Research Technologies.