Katie Volk, an English Language Arts teacher at Rockford Christian School in Rockford, is a 2026 recipient of the Golden Apple Teacher Award.
She has been a teacher for 34 years, all at Rockford Christian.
Volk has been point person for the annual 7th grade trip to Springfield, the Lincoln Museum and St. Louis. Other school activities she helps with: English department head, after-school writing club advisor, faculty council, Science Olympiad judge, campus planning council and more. She also co-created a new-teacher mentoring program.
Volk has been point person for the annual 7th grade trip to Springfield, the Lincoln Museum and St. Louis. Other school activities she helps with: English department head, after-school writing club advisor, faculty council, Science Olympiad judge, campus planning council and more. She also co-created a new-teacher mentoring program.
Volk on teaching
“Teaching middle school is always an adventure. Over the years, I’ve found the most important attributes for success are embracing this tender but fantastic age and learning to laugh. As a teacher who has been in the classroom so long, I fear getting stagnant and losing the joy in the everyday life of teaching kids. I have committed to making sure this is not so. I am always looking for novel ideas and new ways to teach my subject. I can only feel gratitude for this career called teaching. These 34 years have been filled with happiness and tears; relationships with kids, parents and colleagues; and more laughter than I can express.”
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford Christian School teacher is 2026 Golden Apple award winner
Reporting by Corina Curry, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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