Teacher Appreciation Week: Jessie Buehnerkemper Creates "Magic" in Her Kindergarten Classroom

Teaching isn’t easy, she says — but it’s “oh so rewarding.” Read this Teacher Appreciation Week spotlight, sponsored by McAteer and Associates, Your American Family Insurance Agent.

May 6, 2026 9:24 AM May 6, 2026 9:47 AM

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Jessie Buehnerkemper.

EDWARDSVILLE - In 1990, at age 5, Jessie Buehnerkemper decided on her first day of kindergarten that she wanted to stay in that environment forever.

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That dream came true, and Buehnerkemper now teaches kindergarten at Leclaire Elementary School in the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she remembers the “magic” that inspired her as a child and works hard to provide that same experience for her own students.

“I knew I wanted to be a teacher the moment I stepped into my kindergarten classroom in the fall of 1990,” she said. “It felt like the happiest place in the world. But more than anything, I loved how that classroom made me feel: important, included, and completely at home.”

As an elementary school student herself, Buehnerkemper loved the hands-on lessons and engaged teachers. She created a makeshift classroom in her basement and taught her Cabbage Patch Dolls and Barbies. When she graduated high school, her next step was obvious — a career in education.

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Buehnerkemper has such positive memories of her own kindergarten year, and she strives to provide similar experiences for her students. It’s “truly incredible to witness” the big accomplishments that grow from “small, meaningful moments” with the kids. She makes a point to develop genuine connections with students every day.

She is also deeply thankful for her colleagues, as they help her support the kids and create a school environment that reminds her of that welcoming 1990 classroom.

It can be difficult, but “oh so rewarding” to navigate each child’s challenges and needs. Buehnerkemper works hard to make sure her students are supported and encouraged through all of their experiences at Leclaire and beyond.

Outside of school, she spends a lot of time at the hockey rink cheering on her three sons. She also likes going on walks, baking “sweet treats,” dressing her porch geese, thrifting and vacationing with her family.

She is grateful for the opportunity to give kids the same supportive space she had as a child. Her students will surely look back with just as much appreciation for Buehnerkemper as she has for her own elementary teachers.

“I’ve been teaching for 19 years, and every year brings something new to love. Growing up, I always imagined having a classroom of my own, and even after all these years, that excitement hasn’t faded,” she added. “I am so proud to be a Leclaire Leopard and a D7 educator.”

Thank you to Mrs. Buehnerkemper for your work as a teacher!

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