When many of his co-workers are waking up, physics teacher Mark Vondracek is already at work, arriving at Evanston Township High School almost two hours before school starts.

But Vondracek also takes work home. He usually goes to sleep at midnight.

“I don’t sleep much,” he said. “If I get about four hours, I’m okay.”

Vondracek’s strong work ethic has now earned him a chance to be Illinois Teacher of the Year. He is one of seven finalists and the only District 202 teacher vying for the honor, which will be awarded Saturday at the Illinois State Board of Education’s 31st Those Who Excel awards banquet.

Vondracek also will receive an Excellence Award for classroom teaching.

District 202 superintendent Allan Alson nominated Vondracek and three other ETHS teachers for awards from the state board this year.

Vondracek said he was surprised to learn of his wins.

“I thought it was a cruel joke,” he said.

The Illinois Teacher of the Year acts as an “ambassador” for the state and represents Illinois at the National Teacher of the Year Conference, according to Ann Muraro, state coordinator for the awards. The winner receives free lifetime tuition to any state university for continuing education.

A resident of Gurnee, Ill., Vondracek began teaching 10 years ago at Roald Amundsen High School in Chicago. He is now in his seventh year at ETHS.

Vondracek teaches first-year physics through calculus-based Advanced Placement physics. But he said his work extends outside the classroom, working with as many as 10 student activities each year.

While teaching in Chicago, Vondracek had an idea for a program that would increase minority participation in advanced classes. At the time, Vondracek worked with the Center for Talent Development, Northwestern’s enrichment program for students in grades three to 12.

After moving to ETHS and getting support from the center’s director and District 202’s superintendent, Vondracek’s idea turned into Project Excite, a program in which third-grade minority students take additional classes until the ninth grade to prepare for high school. The program began in 2000 and is a collaboration between District 202 and Evanston/Skokie School District 65.

Vondracek also helps with the Junior Engineering and Technological Society at ETHS and the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering group.

ETHS chemistry teacher Russ Kohnken has worked closely with Vondracek for four years. He said Vondracek takes a personal interest in his work.

“He has boundless energy,” Kohnken said. “He’s here all the time.”

Initially, Vondracek said, he planned to work as a college professor so he could both conduct physics research and teach.

“I love working with high school kids,” he said. They are “still na