Teacher Appreciation Week: Preschool Teacher Abby Trask Hopes to be Impactful Person in Students' Lives

EDWARDSVILLE - Abby Trask laughs every day at school.

The Goshen Elementary teacher has a blended preschool/early childhood special education classroom, and she has found that her students are some of the funniest people she knows. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she’s celebrating the kids who make her job so much fun.

“I love teaching preschool,” Trask said. “Every day is the same routine, yet every day is exciting and different. It is amazing to work with young children and see the growth and development. I have had many children for multiple years and it is wonderful to develop relationships with their families, and even teach all the siblings in a family! My job is filled with music, books, hugs, laughter and smiles.”

This doesn’t mean the job is easy. Trask works hard to find the time to complete all of the paperwork, and she’s often pulled in a hundred different directions by her students.

But she enjoys going to work every day and collaborating with families and kids to help them be successful. It’s important to her to support her students through everything, especially as some of the families begin the process of navigating the special education program.

“I get to support our district’s youngest and most vulnerable learners and advocate for them and their families,” she said. “I love working with families to help children be successful, and I love seeing the growth of special needs students. Early intervention is so important and it is amazing to see the progress young children make.”

While Trask loves going to school, she has a vibrant life outside of her classroom. She is a mother of six with three children still at home, so she spends a lot of time attending games, choir concerts and theater performances. In her free time, she enjoys reading and playing with her dogs.

Teaching holds a special place in her heart. Trask always knew she wanted to be a teacher, and she has proven again and again that she’s the perfect person for the job.

“Research shows children who are at-risk have a higher likelihood of being successful if there is at least one caring adult who takes an interest in them and supports them,” Trask added. “I want to be that person who makes a difference in the life of a child.”

Thank you to Ms. Trask for your work as a teacher!

At RiverBender.com, we are celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week from May 6 to May 10, 2024, by highlighting a Riverbend teacher every day. If you would like to nominate a teacher to be profiled, email sydney@riverbender.com with their name and email address.

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