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Pre-School Begins
Teacher: ???
School: Wings Pre-school in Chicago
Memories:
Teacher had breast cancer
Cutting my own hair 1 hour before Christmas pagent
Insisting to wear non-matching clothes to school -
Kindergarten
Teacher: Miss May
School: Coventry Elementary School
Memories:
Attended PM Kindergarten, loved celebrating the holidays at school, became a Daisy Girl Scout, had difficulty holding pencil and cutting with scissors (OT class). -
First Grade Begins
Teacher: Miss Becker
School: Indian Prairie Elementary School
Memories:
Learning to read and spell
Sitting by a smelly kid named Sam S. who would later go on to star in the movie, "The Little Rascals"
Brand new school building
PE teacher who yelled at me for wearing dress to his class -
Second Grade
Teacher: Mr. Gatsakos
School: Indian Prairie Elementary School
Memories:
Was disappointed I had a male teacher when I first found out
Had a giant bookshelf in classroom filled with books
Reading couch in classroom
Pet hamster
Achievement testing started
Cold days at outdoor recess
Being able to buy hot lunch on Fridays
Learning about Space
Keyboard in the classroom
Fieldtrips
Buddies in 5th grade -
Third Grade
Teacher: Mrs. Harvel
School: Indian Prairie School
Memories:
Learning multiplication facts
Planting a tree on Earth Day in my backyard
Younger brother rode the bus to school with me
End of the year picnic at teacher's house -
Fourth Grade
Teacher: Mrs. Freund
School: Indian Prairie School
Memories:
Learning about owls and renewable resources
Giving a biography presentation on Oksana Baiul
Started playing soccer
Joined Battle of the Books
School had inter-postal system called Wee Deliever
More reading homework
Mad Minute Tests -
Fifth Grade
Teacher: Mrs. Bengsten
School: Indian Prairie School
Memories:
Having a pen pal in Bakersfield, CA
Writing 5 paragraph essays
Switching classes for math
Volunteering during recess in the main office
Being fearful of tornados and bridges
Safety Patrol
Played soccer all the time
Was embarassed about being a Girl Scout
School-wide assemblies
Jump Rope for Heart
Field Days -
Hello Junior High! Grade 6
Teacher: Mrs. Mengler (homeroom)
School: Lundahl Junior High School
Memories:
Switching classes for many subjects
Teacher was a comedian....hilarious
Wrote a funny story about her and a classroom snowball fight
Locker combinations
Passing periods
Mean girl at the busstop
Track Team -
Seventh Grade
Teacher: Ms. Cosentino
School: Lundahl Junior High School....become Lundahl Middle School (LMS)
Memories:
Reading and Writing a lot
Very strict, old-fashioned SS teacher
Having anxiety about the lunch table daily- only 12 kids per table
Making the school basketball team
Playing soccer a level up -
Eight Grade
Teacher: Mr. Zeigler (homeroom)
School: Lundahl Middle School
Memories:
Switching classes for many subjects
Science teacher was a critical thinker who took our learning to deeper level
Social Studies teacher made us write 3 "Today in history facts..." to start class daily
Very difficult and unapproachable math teacher
Did not love going to school
Played and started on school basketball team
Went to 8th Grade Dance with "friends"
Loved walking home from school even if it was 2 miles away -
Hello Freshman Year- HS!
Classes: Honors Biology, Algebra I, PE, Spanish I, Studyhall, Keyboarding
School: South High School
Memories:
Homecoming Dance
Football Games
Playing basketball, soccer, and swimming on swim team
Hating fitness days
Getting decent grades (A's, B's) by turning in or completing homework -
Sophomore Year HS
Classes: Honors Chemistry, Geometry, Spanish II, Speech, Business Class, Studyhall, PE/Health
School: South High School
Memories:
Football Games
Struggling in Geometry
Loving and hating Chemistry and Mr. Q's grading scale
Playing basketball, soccer
Learning to drive
Camps in summer
First varsity soccer game
Tuning out all of health class -
Junior Year HS
Classes: Honors Physics, Spanish III, Sociology, Econ, PE, Weights class, Grammar 101
School: South High School
Memories:
Prom
Driving to school
Playing basketball and soccer
Leaving campus for lunch
Brother attending same school
Making a physics video
ACT test
Applying to colleges
Visiting colleges
Volunteering at local elementary school
Future Educators Club member -
Senior Year HS...Finally!
Classes: Child development, Pre-school lab, PE, studyhall, American Literature, Spanish IV
School: South High School
Memories:
Football Games
Varsity soccer and captain
Choosing a college
Declaring a major
Prom
Senior Days -
Period: to
College @ Illinois State University
Top Academic Memories:
Taking Natural Disasters class during Hurricane Katrina
Engaging Human Biology professor
Thought-provoking Adolescent Psych professor
Learning "how to study"
Building confidence with public speaking
Honors Program
Learning to critic and question information
Bone Scholar nominee
Graduating with a 4.0 GPA -
Period: to
Master's Degree @ NLU
Top Academic Memories:
Modifying how I teach reading with regards to best practices
Understanding the process of learning to read
Thought-provoking professor named Ann Bates
Learning how to assess reading skills
Diagnosing areas of weakness in reading
Participating in summer practicum at NLU Reading Center
Belonging to a close cohort of wonderful educators
Graduating with a 4.0 GPA
Becoming the first person in my family to obtain an advanced degree -
Period: to
Master's Degree @ NLU Part II
Top Academic Memories:
Deciding to go back to graduate school
Doing this assignment
