Seth Brady said Thursday “there’s no better job” than teaching. And now there’s no better teacher than him in the state of Illinois.
Brady, 52, of Naperville, was named the 2026 Illinois Teacher of the Year during a ceremony at Naperville Central High School, where he has taught social studies since 2004.
Yes, it was a surprise, although he admitted he had an inkling something was going on as Principal Jackie Thornton led him down the hallway at 12:30 p.m.
“At that point, I had an idea,” said Brady, who was one of 13 finalists for the distinguished honor. He had earlier been named the 2026 Far West Suburbs Regional Teacher of the Year, which made him eligible for the statewide award.
More Top Picks Best Snow Boots For Girls
“Overwhelming. My mind sort of went blank,” he said about the moment he walked into the school library and saw cheering students, co-workers, administrators, family and friends.
“Seeing so many people I care so deeply about in the room. Speechless. Something that only normally happens at a funeral. Amazing,” he said.
Brady, who grew up in tiny Bad Axe, Michigan, said his life was changed in the sixth grade when “a raindrop in the diversity desert” — an exchange student named Dayana from Peru — joined his 6th-grade class.
It made him realize there was a much larger world outside his small hometown, Thornton said, and the thought instilled a sense of wonder that he tries to impart to his students on a daily basis.
She recalled the first time she walked into his classroom in 2008 and saw “a student-centered classroom with high levels of engagement and a supportive, inclusive environment in which all perspectives and all people were valued.”
“That day I got a glimpse into what I call Seth Brady’s greatest gift, the gift of wonder,” Thornton said.
Brady teaches peace studies, world cultures, anthropology, world religions and the STEM/humanities capstone.
One of his peers, teacher Mike Wilson, was not surprised Brady was chosen for the honor.
“This is something we’ve known for a long time, that he’s doing things in education that other people are just not doing,” Wilson said. “He’s been the backbone of every progressive idea we’ve had that’s come through our social studies classrooms. And, he’s very modest about it.”
Wilson, 43, has taught at the school 20 years.
“It’s ideas and the enthusiasm. He’s giving his students the ability to affect change. Every day we’ll pick up the paper and see a Naperville Central student in Springfield advocating for this or that,” Wilson said.
Beyond the classroom, Brady has helped shape the state’s social studies standards, co-authoring national standards for Constitutionally-appropriate religious studies and serving as project director for the Illinois Global Scholar Program, which he helped design.
Naperville School District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges, speaking about Brady before the ceremony, said “having Seth recognized in this way speaks so highly of him, but I think that for Naperville 203, it speaks volumes about our commitment to ensuring our educators have opportunities to support our kids.”
Bridges got choked up during the ceremony as did Thornton and high school senior Ellen Small, who all spoke about the impact Brady has had on them and the school.
“His students think critically as they analyze complex systems,” Bridges said.
“Seth doesn’t just teach about the world. He connects his students to it,” he said. “I have to tell you it’s always a little bit intimidating when (his) kids want to come to a board meeting want to talk about a problem.”
Small was one of those kids, saying she has felt more connected to Brady than any other teacher she’s had over the years. She loves the way he starts each class sitting in a circle with students, listening to their thoughts about anything, noting that when he says, “How are you?” he means it.
Brady, the married father of three, took a moment to compose himself before addressing those gathered and thanking his wife, family, fellow teachers and the administration.
Thornton, he noted, as been exremely supportive.
“When I’ve asked her for many outlandish things, rather than saying, ‘Yeah, we’ll think about that,’ and you never hear it again, she says, ‘Let’s think about how we can do that.’ That goes for the entire administrative staff here,” he said.
State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said being able to honor the state’s top teacher is “the best assignment of each year.” But it’s not easy given that the other 12 finalists were also worthy of the honor, he said.
What set Brady apart was his diligence and his commitment to his students, Sanders said, noting how he is involved in clubs and extracurricular activities outside the classroom.
“We had such a great group of finalists this year. … When I listened to his interview, he’s not just a classroom teacher. He’s engaged in a variety of school activities and statewide initiatives.
More Top Picks Sleeping Bag
“This guy really lives and breathes the teaching profession,” Sanders said.
Brady and the other finalists will be honored with a dinner and reception Saturday night in Bloomington.
He will also receive a state-funded, one-year sabbatical starting in July, which he likely will use to mentor other teachers statewide, and will represent Illinois in the National Teacher of the Year program sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.