Academics

Kathy Babcock
English Teacher, Waukegan High School

I have worked at Waukegan High School for nearly twenty years.  During this time, I have taught all achievement levels, taught grades 9, 10 and 12, and worked within one of our alternative schools.  I believe strongly in my professional responsibilities to my students and to my institution; therefore, I have participated on numerous school improvement committees, written a variety of curricula, advised extracurricular activities, and worked as a cooperating teacher for student teachers from Lake Forest College (LFC) and other institutions.  The school improvement work of which I am most proud includes the writing of an advisory program and the development of interdisciplinary teams on the freshman and sophomore levels.  Throughout the years, I have received a variety of honors on the local, state and national levels.

Before becoming a teacher, I received my B.A. in philosophy from Ripon College and then worked in the printing industry for a few years.  Later, I decided to return to school to earn a teaching certificate and a major in English.  Because of my previous experience at a liberal arts institution, I specifically chose LFC.  Lake Forest offered the breadth and depth of studies that I wanted; I have been nothing but pleased with the preparation I received in both my content area and in the development of my teaching skills.  Since becoming a teacher, I have been a guest lecturer at the college in both the Education Department and the Sociology  Department.  During the summers, I have taught in LFC’s summer Writing andThinking Institute for high school students.  I have also served on the
Education Advisory Committee (EAC) for approximately ten years.  My role on the EAC offers me opportunities to give back to the institution that helped shape my success in the classroom.  It is also a way to help bridge communication between teacher preparation and the classroom.