Unit 5 teacher named finalist for Illinois Teacher of the Year

Image courtesy of Unit 5

NORMAL, Ill. – A teacher in the Unit 5 district has been nominated for Illinois’ Teacher of the Year award by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Donald Whitman of Normal Community High School was named the East Central Region Teacher of the Year last month. He is now one of 14 members of a cohort competing for statewide honors as an educator who excels in the classroom.

“I’m very humbled and honored,” he said. “It’s an amazing group of nominees, and being part of that group means so much to me.”

Whitman has spent his entire 27-year teaching career at Normal Community. During that time, he has taught STEM, engineering, welding and technology classes for students in ninth through 12th grade. He also teaches night classes at Heartland Community College, meaning he spends about 16 hours a day in the classroom three days a week.

While that workload may seem daunting to many teachers, Whitman embraces the challenge.

“Teaching is not a career for me,” he said. “It is truly my life.”

Whitman said his teaching philosophy centers on a “hands-on, minds-on” approach, which has helped make him a beloved teacher at the school.

“I believe in hands-on projects,” Whitman said. “We don’t do worksheets. I don’t stand up in the classroom and lecture. I’m there working with students on something we probably don’t have the answer to.”

With six years until retirement, Whitman said he is excited to serve as a voice for STEM education across Illinois.

“I can do a lot of traveling to other schools and talking to teachers and administrators,” Whitman said. “And, of course, trying to build that pipeline from K-12 education to postsecondary education in technical fields. I feel pretty good about being able to represent that.”

Whitman and the rest of the cohort will be honored by the Illinois State Board of Education on April 18. One member will be named Illinois Teacher of the Year for 2026.