After seventeen wonderful years, the science department will be saying a farewell to Neil Koreman as he is retiring this year. Whether it is a check in at the beginning of class, or thoughtful talks about a random topic, Koreman connects with his students and finds a way to make them feel heard.

“My methodology of teaching has changed with every class that I teach. The fine art of teaching is presenting what is the students in front of me needs at a particular time and since every student is different, every class is different,” Koreman said.

Current students reflect on the school years they have had with him.

“Koreman is definitely one of the best teachers I’ve had in all my years of schooling. His immense energy, interesting teaching style and weird jokes keep the class engaged for the whole period,” junior Mia Cejovic said.

He has made a mark on each one of his classes, becoming a memorable teacher for students every year.

“Mr. Koreman has been one of the most memorable teachers I’ve had. His approach to teaching difficult concepts and his overall attitude has created an environment that allows us to productively learn and thrive. While he is an amazing teacher, he’s also a kind and understanding person that makes one of the hardest classes feel like a comfortable space where we’re surrounded by people that feel like a family,” junior Bethany Thai said.

Koreman’s goal is for his students to succeed and grasp the concepts of the class.

“My favorite memories are in the classroom when the students have an a-ha moment and they start to understand the really complex things that we are teaching them,” Koreman said.

Fellow AP physics teacher Emily Reeves looks back at working along side Koreman.

“Koreman is a teacher that will always make you laugh but is always gonna put your needs first, where he is going to make sure that you are feeling supported and feeling like you can be successful, and dive into the content and really take in a lens of making sure that your needs as a student are just you feel like you belong and that you have a great place in that environment,” Reeves said.

The unique energy and vibe that he brings to each class can be brought by no other teacher.

“One thing I’ll always remember is his random screaming fits. They’re small moments for rage that he uses to hone in on a certain topic. I think they’ve proven effective,” Cejovic said.

“If Koreman has taught me anything, it’s that you can always make something serious something fun too. His use of chunky monkey and one banana-two banana as counting tools will always be engraved in my memory,” Cejovic said.

Even through simple tasks, Koreman has made people feel welcomed.

“I would say my favorite memory is my first year here at Niles West, he came up to me and I was kinda looking a little frazzled and he said ‘Hey what do you need?’ and I said I needed to go to some place in the building that I didn’t know where it was, and he was like let’s take a field trip. As we walked through the building, he pointed out so many different features. And he said hi to almost every single adult we saw, every student we saw, and it’s clear that everyone in this building knows who Koreman is and he always says hello and values being able to interact with everybody,” Reeves said.

His nicknames for everyone is one of the most memorable things about Koreman.

“I will miss Koreman being able to say, ‘Hey sugar booger,’ ‘Hey sweet-pea,’ ‘Hey honey bunches,’ and all of his little funny nicknames every day. Just always feeling great and always has a smile and ready to get the day started,” Reeves said.

He has many retiree plans, time for him to wind down and focus on his interests.

“I have hobbies that I wish to develop and they include gardening, backpacking and camping. We are starting vegetable starts and I think it is a beautiful thing for a kid to start a seed and see the produce,” Koreman said.