ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Each year News 8 receives nominations from students throughout eastern Iowa and western Illinois who want to recognize "My Favorite Teacher." We feature five outstanding educators each year.
Before the sun comes up, Don Adams can be found in a classroom. He teaches an early bird civics class at Alleman High School.
But that's just one of the four subjects he teaches. He also teaches U.S. History, sociology and psychology.
"My favorite class is any class that I have students, seriously," Mr. Adams said.
He's dedicated a lifetime of service to those students. Mr. Adams is going on 44 years of teaching, 39 of those years spent at Alleman. However, it wasn't the path he initially expected taking.
"Being a person of faith, it's always the same answer," he said. "I believe I was called to be a teacher. That's kind of unusual because when I was going through prep, through college, I really didn't have that expectation. But that's what happened."
He's taught generations of students in those four decades. Senior Kellsey McGuire is just one he impacted.
"You're my favorite teacher!" Kellsey said, presenting a trophy to Mr. Adams.
Kellsey is currently in his early bird civics class, her third class with him during her time at Alleman.
"I think it's just like the overall feel of his class," she said. "It's a very welcoming environment, whether it's like a work day and the campfire's on or whatever, it's just always very inviting and very warm."
Mr. Adam's lessons go beyond the classroom, too. He's involved with Alleman's Gray Lives Matter movement. Kellsey also said on their 16th birthdays, he always encourages his students to get their drivers license and on their 18th, to register to vote.
"I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity to get a number of majors, degrees," Mr. Adams said. "I'm just trying to take that opportunity and translate it into some kind of difference making for the kids."
"He's very humble, even after being here for so long with the school and all of his degrees," Kellsey said. "He can change with the times, like he's not stuck in an age. He understands like what we're going through."
Even though teaching wasn't always the profession he had in mind, Mr. Adams doesn't see himself leaving it any time soon.
"As a person of faith, that's entirely up to God. I hope to continue to teach for a few more years," he said. "I tell my students even if I have to wheel myself into the classroom in a wheelchair, if I can still keep teaching because I have a sharp enough mind, I'm going to try to do that."