Fenwick Teacher Talks About Jeopardy! Experience

Colby Burnett was all smiles upon winning his final television appearance on the Jeopardy! Teacher's Tournament on Nov. 20.

The Fenwick High School AP World History Teacher and alum of the school was actually back at home.

"The show shoots way ahead of time," Burnett said. "When I got back from California [where the show is shot], all my students were like, 'did you win?'"

Burnett had, of course, won the Jeopardy! Teacher's Tournament and $100,000 in prize money, but he had to wait until last Tuesday to share his excitement with students, friends and family.

Get breaking news alerts and follow us on Facebook for more news:

• Get the Oak Park-River Forest newsletter and like us on Facebook.
• Get the Forest Park newsletter and like us on Facebook. 

"You'd be surprised what you can keep a secret with $100,000 on the line," Burnett laughed.

Off to California Again Soon

Winning the Teacher's Tournament also means Burnett will get to go back to California soon. He heads there in January to tape episodes for the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, which will air in mid-February.

In the next tournament, Burnett said he faces an even bigger challenge.

"It will be tougher questions and a higher level of competition," Burnett said of the upcoming shows. "They can ask you anything."

Burnett said preparing for the show is not as easy as a last minute cram session. Contestants don't know the questions or subject matter that they will be asked on the show until they see it on the Jeopardy! board and hear Alex Trebek, the show's host, say the answers. Burnett said being a history teacher helped him some, but described needing knowledge of a wide range subject matter—from pop culture to languages—to be the key to doing well. 

The show's episodes are taped one after another, sometimes five in a row, Burnett said, so there's not much time to prepare between each appearance either.

"It's basically just enough time to go backstage and change your clothes," Burnett said."

The final episodes in the Teacher's Tournament were taped back to back with just 12 minutes between takes, according to Burnett.

Where's the Money Going?

So, what's a high school teacher to do with a fresh $100,000 in the bank?

The answer: give your mom the best Christmas present imaginable.

"Yeah, I'm going to buy her a condo in Oak Park," Burnett said, whose mother currently lives in Chicago's Austin neighborhood. 

The two went out over the Thanksgiving holiday to shop and looked at about eight places she could move into, Burnett said. He hopes to have her moved in early next year.

The gift is a repayment of sorts, for her hard work in sending him to school at Fenwick. Burnett's mother worked nights to pay for school in Oak Park, which Burnett said he's incredibly grateful for.

"Even with the scholarship, things would be tight by the last quarter [of school]," Burnett said of his mother. "Everything she's done for me has led to this."

For now, Burnett said he's happy just to be back and Fenwick and teaching again.

"This is what I love and I'm happy to be doing it," he said.

Need a little 'good' news in your life? 'Like' our Good News, Chicago Facebook page for inspiring and uplifting stories in the Chicago area.