Bolingbrook Teacher Nominated for Golden Apple Award

Submitted by Valley View School District:

Erin Preder, Tibbott Elementary School’s version of the “Energizer Bunny,” has been nominated for a Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.

It’s only the second time in the past seven years that a Valley View School District 365U staff member has been nominated for the prestigious award which is given every November to 10 Chicago area teachers for their distinguished contribution to teaching.

“This is very humbling,” said Preder, who has been with VVSD since 1997, serving initially as a kindergarten teacher at Valley View Elementary School and a 2nd grade teacher at Jamie McGee and Tibbott before becoming Tibbott’s Library Media Center Director in 2006.

Preder readily admits she is not your typical school librarian.

“Like many of my VVSD counterparts, I am way more than a person who checks out books to kids,” she said.

That’s a pretty accurate assessment considering she has initiated QR Code scavenger hunts and live Twitter and Skype chats with authors, has secured multiple partnerships with local businesses, helps organize various school assemblies and related activities including an amazing Veterans Day program, plays a role in Tibbott’s college-preparedness program, organizes impromptu reading groups and operates a pre-school story time program that has become a model for other VVSD elementary schools.

But that’s not all. In Preder’s “spare” time (if there is any such thing) she serves as VVSD’s K-5 Library Key Rep and is in high demand as a presenter at educational conferences. (Ask her some time about how to use board games to help English Language Learners.)

Plus she has established herself as one of the most capable small grant application experts in the history of VVSD, literally bringing in tens of thousands of dollars in grants to support her unique library programs.

“I’m not afraid to ask people for what I want,” Preder said.

A graduate of Eastern Illinois University with a degree in early childhood education, Preder thought she would “be a teacher forever like my mom.” But that all changed when she obtained her Master’s Degree in Technology and Education from National Louis University.

“When the library job opened up at Tibbott, I knew it was perfect for me,” she recalled. “I love literacy. I love technology. And I love how I can do all these things in one place and work with every kid and do different things with kindergartners than I do with 3rd graders and 5thgraders.”

Her philosophy is simple. Make learning fun.

“They’re six, seven, eight years old. If I’m bored teaching it, they’re dying learning it. If I’m having a blast, they’re probably having a blast and learning at the same time,” she said, adding “I’ve always loved what I do. But these past few years, that has increased exponentially. I really love my job.”

Preder must now submit a comprehensive nomination acceptance packet to the Golden Apple Foundation to be considered for either the Golden Apple Award or for a Teacher of Distinction Award. Finding time to do so will be a trick because anyone who has ever seen her weekly planner knows she seldom has time for anything (including lunch) except her students.

The Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching was the idea of Golden Apple founder Martin J. (Mike) Koldyke, who felt that excellent teachers did not receive adequate recognition for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated society. Every year since 1986, Golden Apple has chosen 10 outstanding teachers to receive this prestigious award. These teachers become lifetime members of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, which conceives, develops and supports programs for teachers to make them more effective in the classroom.

Golden Apple is a non-profit organization that works to inspire, develop and support teacher excellence in Illinois, especially in schools of need.