Dorothy Schwab
Teacher, Northbrook High School
Ready, Set, Teach, program

If you spend any time speaking with Dottie, observing her teach, or speaking with her students it soon becomes apparent that Dottie is a natural teacher. She herself agrees that she was born to teach. From the time she was a young girl her play consisted of being a home economics teacher making mud pies outside with her friends. She contributes much of her success to wonderful teaching opportunities and excellent training from her school districts.
Her journey to become an education professional was not, however, without barriers. Dottie was the second of four children raised in a family of modest means. Her parents did without a lot in order to send her to college. Something she did not fully appreciate until later in life. Her parents had children in college for 17 straight years. Due to their strong belief in the importance of a good education, they were willing to make sacrifices for 17 years so that all their children would receive a good education.
Dottie worked in a library as an office assistant, frequently earning as little as fifty cents per hour to cover her college expenses. In her opinion, working through school while attending college was a benefit. The experience made her more serious about her studies as she knew she could never face her parents if she failed.
After 34 years of teaching, Dottie continues to view her career in education as inspirational. She has never been tired of teaching, and the day she does will most likely be the day she retires! Dottie has taught programs to introduce high school students to the field of child care, and now through the Ready, Set, Teach elective, she is introducing high school students to the teaching field.
When asked to describe the most meaningful part of being a teacher, Dottie answered that it is giving hope to her students for the future. She loves to “plant the seed”, inspiring and encouraging students to consider attending college and becoming teachers. Previously, this was an undreamed of opportunity in their lives. Along with planting the seeds of pursuing a college degree, Dottie recognizes that students, especially students who are the first in their family to college, need more than inspiration. These students need hands on classroom experiences. They need to attend professional teacher conferences so they can be exposed to the materials that will make teaching easier for them. Even with these supports, Dottie recognized the barriers of available financial support, the fear students have of leaving home to attend college, and parental understanding of attending college.
“It takes a lot of encouragement to help students take those first steps.”
Dottie Schwab has been an inspiration to countless students and has been a highly regarded member of her faculty and the teaching profession for over thirty years. Her dedication and inspiration to her students is a long-lasting legacy that she leaves in the hearts of thousands of students.