Teacher Priscilla Quintana knew something was afoot when Zofia, her 6-year-old daughter, walked into her special education classroom at Kennedy High School the morning of Dec. 8.
Then, her husband Orlando – wearing Bears gear like Zofia – stepped into the room. So did Kennedy Principal George Szkapiak and others.
What was the reason for their unexpected visit?
Quintana had been selected as a Classroom Legend in a program sponsored by the Chicago Bears. It’s designed to honor hard-working teachers like Quintana who make a difference
“It’s very exciting. It was a shock,” Quintana, 32, said on Dec. 11.
“It was so strange,” she said of seeing her daughter and husband stroll into her classroom during a school day.
They, of course, were there to help her celebrate the big award that included two tickets to the Bears’ Dec. 14 game against Cleveland, a personalized Bears jersey and a $1,000 prize.
Quintana, who has been teaching for eight years, lives near the school in Chicago’s Garfield Ridge neighborhood.
She is in her third year of teaching at Kennedy High School, 6325 W. 56th St., where she teaches 11th grade composition for students with special needs. Her students read at a 4th and 5th grade level, she said.
The prize “means a lot,” she said, adding that “Chicago public schools are underfunded.”
Rather than spend the money on her family for Christmas, Quintana will spend the grand on new books for her students, she said.
“I’m so appreciative of what was happening in that moment because it’s been a very trying year. I just had a baby boy eight months ago,” she said.
Her son is named Maverick, his name borrowed from her husband’s favorite movie, “Top Gun: Maverick,” she said.
“I’m trying to be the best mom and I’m trying to be the best teacher for my students,” Quintana said. “This gave me the boost I needed and reaffirmed that what I do doesn’t go unnoticed.”
She has no qualms about spending the prize money on her students.
“I think we need it here. I feel like I did this for my students, so I want to give back to my students. I feel like my students, and maybe I’m biased, are the underdogs of the school.
“They don’t bring in the good numbers with the SAT scores and they’re all below grade level and a lot of people dismiss them, so when they get excited about reading or anything, it just fills my cup. I want to give them payback. They’re deserving,” Quintana said.
The Bears did not reveal who nominated her for the honor.
On the team’s website, the program is described this way: “Alongside our partner CDW, the Chicago Bears understand the work that good, quality teachers often do go unnoticed. Classroom Legends powered by CDW seeks to honor educators who go above and beyond. During each Chicago Bears season, the Chicago Bears will be honoring teachers all across Chicagoland. Nominations are accepted year around.”
Helping others has long been on her radar.
When Quintana was in college, she wanted to be a social worker, then focused on being a high school counselor. She soon learned the job was too demanding for her.
“It was too much. I would take home a lot of the issues that were happening. I wasn’t able to separate work and home because I wanted to help everyone. You can’t save everyone no matter how hard you work,” she said.
While she was a paraprofessional at Noble College Prep, she worked with some special education students. That convinced her to go back to school to earn her Master’s degree in special education.
“They say after six years you get teacher burnout, but I’m on year eight and I do not feel burned out. Every year, my students refresh me,” she said.
Quintana is a Bears fan and said she was looking forward to the game against Cleveland, despite a frigid weather forecast for “one of the coldest days of the year.”
It will be her first Bears game in person.
“I bought a heated vest and I bought ski gear,” she said with a laugh, adding that wool socks along with toe and hand warmers will be included for she and her husband.
