English teacher Shannon Lesko was named Teacher of the Year for South High.
The announcement was made during an all-staff luncheon on Dec. 12.
“When I won, I was so flustered. The ceremony began, and other teachers were kind of hinting at it, but I didn’t really take them seriously,” Lesko said. “When the announcement began and they called my name, I couldn’t believe it. I walked up to the stage, and to my surprise, my husband and kids were there. It was so memorable because it was a room filled with support.”
Lesko teaches Honors English 2 and College Composition. This year she is also teaching two sections of Convergence Journalism 1.
Despite the workload, she continues to balance her responsibilities as a teacher, coach, and mother of three, according to colleague Matt Timmons.
“She’s very professional in her teaching and is also thinking of new ways to change up her classroom, to teach, and always rereading instructions,” Timmons said. “And that doesn’t even account for the type of coach and colleague she is.”
Students say Lesko creates a supportive and welcoming classroom environment.
“She’s really understanding, and she always helps us with our work and knows how to help us through things we’re struggling with,” sophomore Ava Chappell said. “She makes us feel like we’re all wanted and accepted in the class. Even when things are hard, she tries to make everything better for everyone. It just makes it a good environment.”
When she’s not in the classroom, Lesko can usually be found with her husband and three children.
“We like riding bikes with our kids through the Central West End and Forest Park. It’s a fun bonding experience to recharge with the ones I love,” she said.
A proud city resident, Lesko also said she enjoys getting together with friends.
“I love hosting things. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I have a big group of friends so I really enjoy getting together and throwing parties, hosting dinners and cooking, too,” she said.
According to Chappell, Lesko’s ability to connect with students extends beyond the classroom.
“She connects with students a lot and makes connections that a lot of other teachers don’t,” Chappell said. “It just makes people feel more welcome at school. She understands that people are going through things, and some teachers don’t really care about that, but she does. She really tries to make the environment better.”
Lesko has been teaching at South for 8 years.
“It’s the best job in the world. I couldn’t imagine another job working with as many different people, students, and families,” she said.
Lesko’s role as head volleyball coach allows her to continue supporting students after the school day ends.
“She’s always there and wants to support you no matter what,” senior volleyball player Lucy Wright said. “Sophomore year she moved me up to varsity because she saw my potential, and it changed me as a player.”
A former athlete herself, Lesko said she enjoys the coaching side of her job.
“I like being able to explore different parts of myself, still. I was an athlete in high school and it’s something that mattered to me, so I’m glad I can still tap into it,” she said.
Wright said Lesko emphasizes team unity and connection.
“She’s big on community and team bonding. She really cares about the team, she pours her whole heart into it,” Wright said.
![“All-Suburban [choir] was really fun because I got to work with a lot of people from other schools that I didn't know and I got to make friends. We got to learn fun but challenging music and perform for my parents so that was really fun. But the audition process was really stressful, because over 600 people auditioned but only around 150 actually made it into the choir so that was really intimidating for me. I was one out of three girls in my class who made it so that made me feel really special and I was really grateful to have this opportunity.”](https://psouthtreaty.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Image_20260523_140845_694.jpeg)
