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2010-2011 Teachers
The 2010-2011 NLCP English Department proudly welcomes
Mr. Luke Anderson, Ms. Aiesha Jones (NLCP Graduate!), Ms. Elizabeth Levinson,
Ms. Sable Nerette (NLCP Graduate!), Ms. Ann Szekely,
Ms. Zaneta Thomas, and Mr. Matthew Williams
to our group!
Mr. Luke Anderson
landerson@nlcphs.org
(Collins campus) |
Mr. Luke Anderson grew up in West Philadelphia in a neighborhood very similar to North Lawndale. He received his B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003. That same year he moved to Chicago as a graduate fellow in Northwestern University’s sociology department. After spending two years at Northwestern researching social movements and urban issues, Mr. Anderson left Northwestern and began working as program director for the Chicago office of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). Through his work at NFTE, he worked with thousands of students in over 50 high schools on Chicago’s south and west sides; helping students start their own businesses, find gainful employment and move on to college. In 2009, he left NFTE and came to North Lawndale to make a more lasting impact on young people’s lives. He believes that in order to achieve their life goals students MUST know how to read critically, write effectively and communicate with clarity. Teaching and working with young people is Mr. Anderson’s passion and he one day plans to pursue a doctorate in education. He is a huge sports fan and loves all teams from Philadelphia and Chicago. Also, ask him about his dogs! |
Mr.
Tim Bouman
tbouman@nlcphs.org
(Chair, Collins campus)
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Mr.
Tim Bouman has been a teacher for thirteen years. He has taught every
grade from Preschool through Community College—but mostly High
School—and has primarily taught English and ESL (in addition
to some science and social studies here and there). After earning
his BA in English and History from the University of Pennsylvania,
Tim taught for a year at the Culver Academies in Indiana before joining
the Peace Corps to teach English for two years in Dnipropetrovsk,
Ukraine. After that, he returned to his native New York City to earn
a Masters Degree in TESOL at Teachers College, Columbia, while teaching
at two public high schools in Brooklyn for nearly three years. His
wanderlust soon led him overseas once again to teach at a primary
school in Tanzania for four years. Upon returning to the U.S. in 2004,
Tim briefly served as Interim Principal of St. John’s Lutheran
School in Staten Island, New York, before heading west to Chicago,
where, after a year at KIPP Ascend Charter School, he began his career
at NLCP. Tim lives in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood with
his wife, Erin, and his two children, John (age 5) and Ruth (3). His
hobbies include collecting gerunds, infinitives and participles in
their natural habitat, and racing on the NASCAR circuit during the
school’s summer vacation. |
Ms. Kim Cody
kcody@nlcphs.org
(Collins campus) |
Ms. Kimberly Cody received her B.A. in English with a minor in Secondary Education from Wittenberg University in 2002. Kimberly joins NLCP after living in Florida for the past seven years, where she taught English and Intensive Reading. While there, she also served as the grade ten English department chairperson, assistant athletic director, student-athlete tutoring program director, and head coach of the boys’ and girls’ varsity volleyball teams. Along with her certification in English and ESL, she also holds an endorsement in Reading. Within the next year, she plans on going back to school to work toward a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. |
Ms.
Heidi Curran
hcurran@nlcphs.org
(Christiana campus)
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Ms.
Heidi Curran, a Freshmen World Literature teacher at NLCP, graduated
from Penn State University in 2004 with a Bachelor's Degree in Education.
She then moved to Chicago to live and volunteer in the North Lawndale
community through a one-year volunteer organization. After completing
her year of volunteering, Heidi remained in North Lawndale to teach
adults with disabilities and prepare them to pass the GED. While working
with adults, Heidi was inspired to teach high school students and
prepare them for college. She came to NLCP in the Fall of 2006.
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Ms. Jill Deets
jdeets@nlcphs.org
(Collins campus)
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Ms. Jill Deets brings a wealth of experience to NLCP and her position as Reading Specialist for the Collins Campus. After graduating from Illinois State University with a B.S. in English, she worked first as a technical writer. Later she attended Roosevelt University where she earned her teaching credentials. Combining her love for teaching with an interest in technology, she taught computer applications at Columbia College Chicago for many years. Most recently she completed a M.A. in Reading from Concordia University and is focused on improving student reading. She strives to instill in students the power of learning and the value of education. |
Ms. Sara Eisenbaum
seisenbaum@nlcphs.org
(Collins campus) |
Ms. Eisenbaum joins the NLCP English team with great enthusiasm and a continuing quest for what it means to be an urban educator. For the past two years she has been working on the completion of her Master's Degree in Social Work from Loyola University. Prior to that she was living in Baltimore Maryland, and teaching at an alternative school for students who had been expelled from the regular education setting. Working with those students was one of the most rewarding, and also challenging, experiences of her life. Ms. Eisenbaum discovered early on that teaching English was her passion as she came to realize how many avenues in life are opened by the ability to read, write, and comprehend. She received her undergraduate degree at Bowling Green State University in Integrated Language Arts, and since then she has not stopped pushing youth towards a higher state of survival, success, and achievement. |
Ms. Lauren Gruber
lgruber@nlcphs.org
(Collins campus) |
Ms. Lauren Gruber moved to Chicago in 2002 after graduating from the University of Michigan. During a three-year stint at DePaul University as a library-assistant-by-day and graduate- student-by-night, Ms. Gruber earned her teaching certificate. This year marks her third year as a high school teacher on the West Side of Chicago. Some of her favorite activities as a teacher include: sharing her lifelong love of reading with students and helping students develop their own unique voices as writers. |
Mrs. Veriner Hubbard-James
vjames@nlcphs.org
(Christiana campus)
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Mrs. Veriner Hubbard-James is a young and vibrant educator who is passionate about educating youth. Veriner has been teaching for nearly seven years and has taught a several grade levels. She initially started as an elementary teacher, and for the past two years has transitioned to a high school English teacher. During her primary years of teaching, Mrs. Hubbard-James developed a Personal Philosophy of Education. Her philosophy simply states: “Every child can learn.” Veriner believes that in order for this statement to become a reality communities of people have to become advocates for children in order to promote academic success. Currently, Mrs. Hubbard-James is pursuing a Masters in English at Chicago State University. Although she enjoys educating students, her ultimate goal is to become an administrator. After the completion of her Masters, Veriner intends to continue her education in hopes of becoming a principal.
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| Ms.
Deondra Jackson
djackson@nlcphs.org
(Collins
campus)
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Ms. Deondra Jackson was born and raised on the Westside of Chicago. She attended Daniel Webster Elementary School and Charles Allen Prosser High School. Ms. Jackson received my Bachelors of Arts in Secondary Education Teaching of English in May 2007, from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She plans on going back (hopefully in January 2009) to graduate school to obtain a Master’s Degree in Education but as of right now, Ms. Jackson wants a break from her formal schooling. She considers herself an enthusiastic teacher of reading, writing, public speaking, and independent thinking. Literature is imperative in exposing students to various perspectives, cultures, and changes in collective beliefs over time. Ms. Jackson wants her students to recognize that learning to understand and appreciate literature means learning to accept and respect others. Literature allows students to accept others’ points of view, while developing analytical skills that can be useful and also applied in real-life situations. Learning to value and appreciate literature is a beneficial tool that all of her students will carry with them throughout their academic endeavors and well after. In order to ensure that every student is successful, it is Ms. Jackson's job to be responsible, committed, professional, loving, understanding, and a motivator. She is often asked that infamous question: "What makes you want to teach?" The answer lies in her passion for helping others realize and maximize their individual potential - as well as in her love for the discipline. Ms. Jackson's philosophy of teaching language arts aligns with the mission statement of any prestigious educational institution. The improvement of our current society relies on the academic, social and emotional growth of our youth. Therefore, the answer as to why Ms. Jackson teaches: To touch the future.
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Ms. Aiesha Jones
ajones@nlcphs.org
(Collins campus) |
Ms. Aiesha Jones is a proud product of the Westside in Chicago. Growing up in the community of “K town” all of her life, she truly knows what it means to make it out of the hood in one piece. She attended elementary school at Joseph Kellman Corporate School and attended the profound North Lawndale College Prep High School. Being a successful student at NLCP, Ms. Jones was accepted to the prestigious DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where she received her B.A. in English Literature and Composition and a minor in Education Studies. While attending DePauw University, Ms. Jones found a passion for teaching and made a vow to give back to her community. Aiesha had the opportunity of working at NLCP over the summer as a summer school teacher assistant and was overjoyed with the fact that teaching a child one thing can impact their whole world! Ms. Jones will be working at NLCP for one year as the current Alumni Intern working in the English Department as well as assisting the principal at the Collins campus. Aiesha is thrilled to be a part of the English team being that her aspiration is to one day become a freshman English teacher at North Lawndale College Prep. After Aiesha completes her fellowship with NLCP, she will go to graduate school at either DePaul University or Concordia to receive her M.A. in Secondary Education. Aiesha is more than ecstatic to be working at NLCP being that this is the school that molded her into the educated young lady that she has become today. Aiesha's mission while attending NLCP is to encourage each student that she comes into contact with, because she knows that they are our future and the answer to today’s problem. We must encourage and promote our youth because if we don’t believe in them, who will? The PHOENIX in us WILL!
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Ms. Elizabeth Levinson
elevinson@nlcphs.org
(Christiana campus) |
Ms. Elizabeth Levinson spent a good deal of her childhood moving, so she learned one of the greatest values of literacy at an early age – that once you have read something, you have it forever, you don’t need to pack it in a box or worry about losing it. She devoured books over long road trips and eventually, this love of reading became a love of writing. Ms. Levinson holds a B.A. from UIC in Secondary English Education, but she has also studied writing extensively, taking workshops with Columbia College, Green Door Studio, and the Guild Complex. She is currently completing her M.F.A. in Poetry and Letters from Pacific University. Ms. Levinson taught for four years as an English teacher at Tilden Career Community Academy, and before that she worked as a contract educator for the Field Museum. She is really excited to join the NLCP team and to work with students exclusively on writing. |
Mr.
Barry McRaith
bmcraith@nlcphs.org
(Chair, Christiana campus)
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Mr.
Barry McRaith, an English teacher and the chairperson of the English
Department since 2006, began teaching in 1986 at Holy Trinity High School (1986-1991)
on Chicago's near northwest side. While pursuing graduate degrees
in English from Northwestern University and in Educational Leadership
from the University of Illinois at Chicago, he accepted an English
teaching position at Von Steuben High School (1992-1999) on Chicago's
northwest side. In 1999, Barry was invited to become
a founding member, as English chair and teacher, of Northside College Preparatory HS (1999-2006).
Additionally, Barry has taught at/for Young Chicago Authors (1995-2001),
Fasman Yeshiva High School (1996), and North Park University (1997-98).
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Ms. Misuzu Miyashita
mmiyashita@nlcphs.org
(Christiana campus)
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Ms. Misuzu Miyashita was born in Japan and moved to America with her family when she was three. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2006 and taught English at Naperville Central High School before coming to NLCP in 2008. Ms. Miyashita is very excited to begin fulfilling her lifelong dream of empowering urban students to engage in and transform our world. In her spare time, Ms. Miyashita enjoys salsa dancing, coffee, ethnic cuisine, exploring Chicago, and coaching the NLCP dance team! |
Ms, Sable Nerette
snerette@nlcphs.org
(Collins campus)
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We present to you Ms. Sable Nerette, the 2010-2011 Writing Center Director at North Lawndale College Prep at the Collins location, part of class of 2006 alum of NLCP. She recently graduated from Syracuse University with Bachelor’s degrees in Communication and Rhetorical Studies and Writing and Rhetoric. She decided to come back to her community to assist students assist themselves. One of her favorite quotes is “The best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education. In this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than their potential” (President Obama). She hopes to serve as a role model that will motivate, inspire and demonstrate what it takes to overcome the probability placed on youth who reside in the North Lawndale Community. It’s a Phoenix thang!
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Ms. Ann Szekely
aszekely@nlcphs.org
(The Christiana campus and the Collins campus) |
Mrs. Szekely, a Wisconsin native and avid Packer fan, can’t believe that she will be in her 17th year of teaching. She has spent majority of her education career with high school students-first she worked at a small Catholic High School in Milwaukee, moved to a huge high school in South Central Los Angeles, and spent 7 years as a member of the Academy of Communication and Technology (ACT) faculty. She is thrilled to have recently joined the NLCP team. Ann is currently completing her Master's Degree at De Paul in Educational Policy. |
Mr.
Ian Taylor
itaylor@nlcphs.org
(Christiana campus)
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Mr. Ian
Taylor began teaching English at NLCP in 2006, joining the high school
ranks after teaching at the middle school level for seven years. All
of the schools at which Ian has taught have been located on the West
Side of Chicago. He began his teaching career at Dett Elementary and
helped to reopen Dodge Academy in 2003. In his opinion, high school
is more fun because the kids really influence the way a good school
should be, and they are given the freedom to do so. Also, because
high school students are older, they bring more experience to the
classroom, which adds so much to the fabric of the learning. Both
his bachelor’s degree and his master’s degrees are from
UIC; he received a Bachelor of English and a Master of Education. |
Ms. Zaneta Thomas
zthomas@nlcphs.org
(Collins campus) |
Mrs. Zaneta Thomas is a novice teacher, as she just received a teacher certification in June 2010. However, Mrs. Thomas has some experience teaching in public and alternative school settings. Mrs. Thomas’ love for teaching developed through working as a paraprofessional at School District 160. From there Mrs. Thomas pursued a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, a teacher’s certification and will have her master’s in teaching December 2010. Mrs. Thomas has an educational philosophy that states, “Not only can every child learn, but they can also rise above any challenges with which they are faced.” Zaneta Thomas grew up in a suburban area close to the Southside of Chicago and currently resides in Chicago with her husband and three sons. In her spare time, she enjoys reading good books (preferably non-fiction), spending time with her husband and sons, and traveling.
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Mr. Matthew Williams
mwilliams@nlcphs.org
(Christiana campus) |
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Ms. Nikki Williams
nwilliams@nlcphs.org
(Christiana campus) |
Nikki Williams. Who is she? (Good question) Born and raised on the southside of the Chicago, this old school breed young woman graduated from Mother McAuley High School and went on to a little town of Milwaukee to get her Bachelors Degree. She knew teaching was where her heart was so she jumped into the classroom and hit the ground running. For four years she taught in urban school districts in Milwaukee and Chicago before making her way to NLCP. Only this time, she was not alone; she now had to add a vibrant little girl to her daily routine. She loves English, loves reading, loves writing, and can even be found from time to time coaching the NCLP SoulChild Dance team. If that is not enough (whew!), she also serves as the Executive Director of My Sisters' Keeper of Chicago, a teen mentorship and empowerment program. Come visit her from time to time on the 3rd floor at Christiana, she won't bite - promise! |
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