ROCHELLE — When her own children were in grade school, Theresa Crystal helped out in their classrooms. That was when she decided to go back to school and get a degree in teaching. 

While working on her degree, Crystal taught preschool at St. Paul Lutheran School for two years before substitute teaching at Rochelle Middle School. It was then that she realized that was where she belonged. She retired in May after 22 years at RMS, teaching math, writing and social studies.

“I realized that teaching is a creative endeavor,” Crystal said. “You need a lot of energy, which I have. I like the creativity that goes into it and the intellectual side of it. All of those things drew me in. I knew I didn't want to teach little kids. I wanted to be able to delve into a topic and field of study. I remembered what the classroom was like and saw what my children experienced and wanted to do it.”

Crystal started out teaching writing and social studies for her first 10 years at RMS. She was then asked to teach seventh grade math, which she did for the final 12 years of her tenure. Math had never been Crystal’s favorite subject, and the thought of teaching it initially made her nervous. She later on found the challenge and working with students on the subject to be enjoyable.

“I realize math is intimidating, and I tried my best to make it approachable and let them know that I struggled with math, so If I can teach it, they can learn it,” Crystal said. “I get letters from kids at the end of the year and that's what they say. 'If I didn't get it, you didn't make me feel bad about it. You just told me we could do it.' That was really fun. I love to learn myself. Learning how to teach takes a lot of time and effort. People can give you a curriculum, but you have to bring it to the kids and make it approachable.”

In February, Crystal was recognized as part of the “Those Who Excel” teacher recognition program through the Illinois State Board of Education. The “Those Who Excel” program acknowledges educators who have excelled in their craft as an educator and also made a positive impact on the school community as a whole through their ongoing efforts on behalf of students.

Crystal enjoyed the “high-energy atmosphere” of teaching middle schoolers. She said it takes a sense of humor and a willingness to connect to be a successful middle school teacher. She did her best to relate to students and tried to always know what music and trends they were interested in.

Living in the community along with teaching in it for the past 22 years, Crystal has seen her students come through RMS and grow up around Rochelle. She enjoys seeing people around town and hearing how they turned out and what they’re up to. She’s grateful she got to play a small part in it. 

Crystal said her most memorable experiences involved helping kids who were struggling, either in or out of the classroom. She comes from an inner-city family with limited means and left home to join the United States Army at age 18. She shared her experiences with students.

“I had a struggle story myself, so I was able to share that and help kids realize that they can get past it and do better,” Crystal said. “You tell them they have the ability and to believe in themselves. Getting these letters from kids, you realize that you have had an impact. You're not just teaching math. I try to teach kids to find and have discipline and grit. My motto in the classroom is you need grit to get through life. I talked a lot about building character qualities that will help them. Kids don't always have parents that guide them. That comes from my military experience. I guess I use myself as a story. It doesn't matter where you come from. You can have a good life. You can find something you love to do. I tried to talk to kids at that age and get them thinking about their future. Because it comes pretty fast.”

Crystal said the decision to retire wasn’t an easy one for her, because she’s leaving something she loves. In retirement she plans to spend time with family and travel, including with a new travel club through Rochelle Township High School she started that will travel to Europe next summer.

The last day of school for Crystal wasn’t easy. She said goodbye to students and staff and the classroom she’s called home from the past 12 years. She believes it will be strange to not return to RMS in the fall. 

“It's hard to separate from something you enjoy, but it was time to move on,” Crystal said. “I enjoyed my job because of the relationships with the kids. You get to know kids and how you can speak into their lives. Teaching math was a joy. It was a challenge to figure out how to reach kids. I loved watching them succeed.”