For the 2023-24 school year, physics teacher Shannon Feineis has received the Illinois High School Physics Teacher of the Year award.
Despite the struggles she had in her physics class during high school, she liked the challenge and wanted to keep working with it.
“Physics was the only class in high school that I needed to get help for. I was crying about equations and not knowing which ones to use,” Feineis said. “It was a challenge but once I overcame it I was excited to keep working at it.”

From her experience in high school, she wanted to help other students overcome challenges and decided to major and teach in physics. After graduating college, she started teaching her first physics class at BHS and has been teaching a variety of physics classes for 22 years; this year, winning the Physics Teacher of the Year Award.
“I got an email saying that I was nominated for the award and it made my whole day,” Feineis said.
A week after filling out the forms, she drove to Joliet, Illinois where the meeting was held.
“When I was driving by myself, I was excited and nervous,” Feineis said. “Then I saw some people I knew and the anxiety went away.”
After being served dinner, Feineis received a plaque for the award and got her picture taken.
“It’s fulfilling to do your job and know you’re making connections with students,” Feineis said. “But to have it recognized from an outside source is just a nice feeling.”