Michael Davis of Rockford has been teaching special education at Kennedy Middle the past 10 of his 26-year teaching career. The staff member who nominated him wrote, “Mike Davis … treats the kids so good and helps them so much. He gets so excited to teach them new things …. I’m glad the kids have him as a teacher.” Mike says his classroom “is an empathetic zone where students are free to make mistakes, learn from them and develop their potential, all accompanied by joy and laughter.” One classroom observer noted that though she saw everything from “dirty hands to crying outbursts, to students with limited ability and verbal or motor skills, this teacher was clearly caring and compassionate.” Another commented that it was “a master class in positive behavioral intervention strategies.” Mike communicates daily with students’ families, sharing photos and videos when new skills are acquired or concepts are finally understood. His words to families assure them they are not alone and helps them continue the learning process at home. He learns the “languages” necessary to communicate with each student, from sign language to positive clicking noises to pictures. He shares possible solutions when parents are dealing with issues at home with their children. In his portfolio, Mike wrote, “creating a vigorous learning community that nurtures and empowers students to learn requires concerted efforts from not just the teachers, but also the school staff, parents and the community at large … our class collaborates with sports teams and parent liaisons for laundry duties as a method of teaching practical life skills.” A math lesson meant learning about making change, taking into account what a person might enjoy buying and how to identify coins and bills. According to his class summary, his strategy “allows special needs students to be more independent in the community. If they know how to determine if they have enough money and how much money to give to the clerk, they can go to the store on their own.” Mike says his “approach to teaching aims at shaping pupils into well-rounded individuals who can navigate their own path in life.”