OLCHS Music Education Bob Haberstat Named TI:ME 'Teacher Of The Year' For 2026

OAK LAWN, IL — Oak Lawn Community High School music teacher Bob Haberstat has been selected as the TI:ME (Technology In Music Education) Teacher of the Year for 2026. The award is highly regarded in the field of integrating technology into music education. Through his own-devised “Shed The Music” and “Electronic Music Elements” curriculum, and his frequent presentations at music education conferences nationwide, Haberstat demonstrates a passion for both technology and music education that is exemplary and well-deserving of this recognition.

OLCHS Music Department Chair Semaj Coleman called Habersat “an absolute, unrelenting force of nature.”

Bob Haberstat | OLCHS

“For Bob, music transcends notes on a page. It is a living, breathing experience. To witness just fifteen minutes of his instruction is to see a masterclass in passion and versatility,” Coleman said. “He has fundamentally reshaped the high school musical experience, fostering a classroom where students might master Bruckner’s 'Locus Iste' one moment and pivot to a high-energy Bruno Mars cover on electric guitars the next.”

Beyond his classroom walls, Habersat is known as a global innovator. Through his advocacy and collaboration with Ableton, a German music software designer, he has designed a ground-breaking pathway that will make his school the first in the world to offer official Ableton certification to students.

“Bob is a one-in-a-million educator, and Oak Lawn is profoundly lucky to have his vision leading the way,” OLCHS Principal Dr. Lauren May said. “We are proud of Mr. Habersat and the innovative ways in which he leverages technology to improve music education not only for our Spartan students, but also how he shares his vision and talents with educators across the country. Oak Lawn Community High School has a proud tradition of elevating music education, and it’s wonderful to see Mr. Habersat recognized nationally.”

~ Contributed by Jennifer Jepsen, OLCHS Staff Writer

Habersat will be presented with the award at the 2026 national conference in San Antonio, TX, on Feb. 11.