Chicago teacher headed to 'Jeopardy!' finals
theGRIO REPORT - Chicago AP History teacher Colby Burnett is headed to the final rounds of the Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament. If he wins, he'll take home a $100,000 prize and secure a spot in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions...
This 1890 piece was named for a Verlaine poem that begins ‘Your soul is as a moonlit landscape fair.'”
You may not know the answer, but 28-year-old Chicago AP History teacher Colby Burnett got it right and now he’s headed to final rounds of the Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament.
According to the Huffington Post, Burnett, who teaches at Fenwick High School, won the semi-final round Friday after answering, “What is ‘Clair de lune?'”
Jeopardy! describes the tournament as a two-week competition among fifteen of the country’s brightest educators. The winner of the final round next week will take home $100,000 and secures a spot in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.
“Teachers play such an important role encouraging and motivating our students to reach their full potential,” said executive producer Harry Friedman. “This tournament gives them a chance to shine and reminds us how imperative good educators are in shaping the future of our children.”
According to the Chicago Tribune, Burnett is a self-proclaimed trivia buff and a former scholastic bowl competitor. Also an alumni at Fenwick, Burnett said if he wins the grand prize, he’ll buy a home for his mother who worked the night shift to pay for his high school tuition.
“My mother has sacrificed so much and never complained,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “If I could repay that in kind, that’d be great.”
He also said he’s more excited than nervous for the opportunity to be on the show.
“If I walk away knowing I did the best I could, I’ll be happy,” he said.
Burnett will compete against teachers from Charlottesville, Virginia and Montgomery, Alabama on Monday and Tuesday for the grand prize.
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