Know Your Neighbor: Cheryl Riordan, Social studies teacher

Cheryl Riordan is in her first year of teaching seventh-grade social studies at Challand Middle School in Sterling, where she lives. She is the daughter of Kevin and Yvonne Riordan of Brookfield. On-the-job lesson: I've learned that you have to be able to think on your feet, change things up at a moment's notice, and be patient and flexible. Alma mater: Riverside Brookfield High School, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Philosophy: Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option. Oughta be a law: Teachers would make at least as much as doctors. (Hey, we put in the same hours.) Hearts: Run, read, bad reality television, scrapbooking, travel. This year I was the assistant coach for cross country at