2+ hour, 3+ min ago  (948+ words) Before computers and smartphones or anything digital, and before TVs were common, there was the great and glorious outdoors for kid play: ditch banks to run; dilapidated, abandoned houses and barns to explore; tall weed patches to crawl through; trees…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago  (560+ words) Marco Nieto and Joel Danowitz A first-in-the-nation law that would prohibit banks and cred" It doesn't matter whether students find speech by other students offensive, Firs" Joining the show Tuesday: birthday girl Reagan Schluter, who'll belt out the national anthem…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago  (1797+ words) Janet LeRoy just hit her 40th year teaching at Leal Elementary, and she has no desire to leave anytime soon. Janet LeRoy holds up a school picture of the first year she taught. Retiring third-grade teacher Janet LeRoy poses with students,…...

1+ mon, 3+ week ago  (377+ words) Diamond Posey has worked as a kindergarten aide at South Side Elementary School, Champaign, for the last four years. When Diamond Posey began teaching as an aide in Casey Gossman's first-grade classroom four years ago at Champaign's South Side Elementary…...

1+ mon, 4+ week ago  (442+ words) It's that time of year, when the "Best of 2025" lists come out. Here are two of my favorites, which were included in Publisher's Weekly's lists, along with several others. "Let's be bees," the text begins. "Let's Buzz." Bold, warm crayon…...

2+ mon, 2+ week ago  (663+ words) Leal Elementary School kindergarten teacher Amanda Nelson spreads out newly-purchased toys in her Urbana classroom Thursday. A CU Schools Foundation grant paid for the toys for inclusion in kindergarten lesson plans. Jamie Jones said the newly-purchased toys will help students…...

3+ mon, 2+ week ago  (857+ words) Total enrollment on the UI's flagship campus exceeded 60,000 for the first time. SPRINGFIELD " Enrollment at public universities in Illinois grew to a 10-year high of 189,791 students, a 2.3 percent increase over last year, according to figures released by the Illinois Board…...

4+ mon, 1+ week ago  (318+ words) One part motivator, one part mentor. UI Spanish Professor Ann Abbott was all of that " and then some " to Class of 2009 alumna Kelley Francis. "Ann Abbott was the first teacher I had at UIUC that I felt truly connected with…...

4+ mon, 2+ week ago  (1353+ words) Audrey Germino (above), one of the S.K.A.T.E. instructors, helps teach Kenwood Elementary students " including Alana Davis-Johnson (below) " how to skate at the UI Ice Arena on a recent Saturday morning. From left and top, Nanoko Seki, Angela He, Audrey Germino, Mayumi…...

4+ mon, 3+ week ago  (1006+ words) "I try to maintain a good work-life balance, and travel and time with family are very important to me. I fully believe that time away makes me better at my job " or at least more pleasant to be around." "I'm…...