# data[].attributes.body
School, Grade Level/Content Taught?
Monroe

K-5

Teacher-Librarian

Best part of winter break for me was...

Doing a color and style analysis.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Chama Gaucha - Brazilian Steakhouse

Book I have been wanting to read...

XOXO, Cody

The Woman in Me

Favs already read! (or listened to)

Fourth Wing

Iron Flame

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Surviving another start of year without an HDT.

Fixing the 3D printer. . .again

What has been your biggest challenge?

Fixing the 3D printer. . .on a regular basis.

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

Oak School, Preschool

Best Part of winter break for me was...

Going to Florida - seeing my Grandma as I had not seen her in 5 years and taking my kids to Legoland and Peppa Pig World

What is your favorite restaurant?

Olive Garden

Books I have been wanting to read?

Fablehaven and Five Kingdoms by Brandon Mull

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Being able to actually teach this year and seeing the growth my students made my SLOs

What has been your biggest challenge?

Balancing the many various curriculums that preschool uses

# data[].attributes.body
School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

Best part of winter break for me was...

What is your favorite restaurant?

Book I have been wanting to read...

What has been your biggest success of the year?

What has been your biggest challenge?

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught?
8th Grade ELA, Hinsdale Middle School

Best part of winter break for me was...

Sleeping in and watching all of the Real Housewives

What is your favorite restaurant?

Trivoli Tavern

Book I have been wanting to read...

The Lost Bookshop

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Learning new curriculum and balancing work/life relatively well!

What has been your biggest challenge?

Being okay with not knowing all of the ins and outs of a new school!

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught?
RISE 2nd-5th Grade, Walker

Best part of winter break for me was...

Getting to spend time with my kids and going on adventures (rollarskating, hiking, water park, city trip, seeing dinosaurs, AG for my daughters)

What is your favorite restaurant?

Rainforest Cafe

Book I have been wanting to read...

Atomic Habits

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Being brave and doing something new

What has been your biggest challenge?

A lot of behaviors in the classroom and such diverse students

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

CHMS, 6th-8th Grade Spanish

Best part of winter break for me was...

Not being at work.

What is your favorite restaurant?

My own kitchen.

Books I have been wanting to read...

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Roots

Autobiography of Malcolm X

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Of the school year- building relationships with so many of my students

Of 2024- making it 11 days so far without crying

What has been your biggest challenge?

Promoting accountability

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

HMS, 6th Grade / Science & ELA

Best part of winter break for me was...

Relaxing and spending time with my kids.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Namaste (an Indian restaurant in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)

Book I have been wanting to read...

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Did pretty good on my SLOs (achieved growth target for both).

What has been your biggest challenge?

Adjusting to the different expectations in a new environment (both personally and professionally - we just moved to IL from out of state).

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

The Lane School- 4th Grade

Best part of winter break for me was...

Skiing in Whistler, Canada

What is your favorite restaurant?

Ba Ba Reeba in Lincoln Park, Chicago

Book I have been wanting to read...

YellowFace by R.F. Kuang

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Building a strong classroom community and positive relationships with my students

What has been your biggest challenge?

Differentiation within writing curriculum

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

4th Grade at Oak

Best part of winter break for me was...

Going to Hilton Head Island with my family!

What is your favorite restaurant?

Taco Grill or Taste

Book I have been wanting to read...

Re-reading the Hunger Games series to prepare myself for the new movie

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Forming relationships with students and staff in the building

What has been your biggest challenge?

Prioritizing the most important items (accepting that not everything on the to-do list will get done)

# data[].attributes.body
School, Grade Level/Content Taught?
Oak School, Fourth Grade

Best part of winter break for me was...

Read two whole books just for fun!

What is your favorite restaurant?

Antico Posto

Book I have been wanting to read...

Another book written by Kristen Harmel or Colleen Hoover

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Connecting with my students

What has been your biggest challenge?

Work-life balance

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

Madison, First Grade

Best part of winter break for me was...

Sleeping in and spending extra time with my family!

What is your favorite restaurant?

Ramsay's Kitchen

Book I have been wanting to read...

Fourth Wing (reluctantly)

What has been your biggest success of the year?

New music transition routine that I started this year

What has been your biggest challenge?

A group of special friends who aren't making a lot of progress with reading or math. We're working on it!

Also, no afternoon specials...

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

CHMS, 8th grade Science

Best part of winter break for me was...

Unpacking my new house!

What is your favorite restaurant?

Cafe Salsa or Texas Roadhouse

Book I have been wanting to read...

House of Shadow and Flame (Jan 30!!)

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Making positive connections with students

What has been your biggest challenge?

Balancing responsibilities at work and at home

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught? 4th Grade

Best part of winter break for me was...

spending time with my friends and family!!

What is your favorite restaurant? Entourage is my new favorite restaurant. It is so good!!

Book I have been wanting to read... I have actually read a lot of books this year, and I am looking for good recommendations. One of my favorite books was Book Lovers by Emily Henry.

What has been your biggest success of the year? My students did a really nice job during their book clubs before Christmas break, which was really nice to see since it was so close to Christmas.

What has been your biggest challenge? I have a student who has ED and we are trying as a team to help him.

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught? The Lane School, AM Kindergarten

Best part of winter break for me was... Hugging my Mom and Dad, laughing with my kids and husband at Universal Studios!

What is your favorite restaurant? Nabuki

Book I have been wanting to read...None of This is True

What has been your biggest success of the year? Balancing work, kids, life etc.

What has been your biggest challenge? Making time for ME

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School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

Berwyn, Palos, Hinsdale
4th grade, tech coordinator, curriculum coach, AP, Principal, Director

Best part of winter break for me was...

Family time!

What is your favorite restaurant?

Trivoli Tavern, Ciccio Mio, Chicago Cut, Alpine Subs, Freddy’s

Book I have been wanting to read...

The stack on my night stand

What has been your biggest success of the year?

New teams, new adventures!

What has been your biggest challenge?

Laundry lol - I can’t keep up!

# data[].attributes.body
School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

The Lane, Kindergarten

Best part of winter break for me was...

Spending time with out of town relatives, seeing friends

What is your favorite restaurant?

Nabuki

Book I have been wanting to read...

None of This is True

What has been your biggest success of the year?

F45

What has been your biggest challenge?

Balancing mom and teacher life

# data[].attributes.body
School, Grade Level/Content Taught?
Monroe

K-5

Teacher-Librarian

Best part of winter break for me was...

Doing a color and style analysis.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Chama Gaucha - Brazilian Steakhouse

Book I have been wanting to read...

XOXO, Cody

The Woman in Me

Favs already read! (or listened to)

Fourth Wing

Iron Flame

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Surviving another start of year without an HDT.

Fixing the 3D printer. . .again

What has been your biggest challenge?

Fixing the 3D printer. . .on a regular basis.

# data[].attributes.body
School, Grade Level/Content Taught? District Office, Assistant Supt. of Student Services

Best part of winter break for me was... sleeping in and watching Investigation Discovery! Gypsy Rose is free!!!!!

What is your favorite restaurant? Bibibop for the win!

Book I have been wanting to read... Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

What has been your biggest success of the year? Working with our new staff and seeing results!!

What has been your biggest challenge? Getting motivated after the holiday.

# data[].attributes.body
School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

Oak School, Preschool

Best Part of winter break for me was...

Going to Florida - taking my kids to Legoland and seeing my Grandma as I had not seen her in 5 years

What is your favorite restaurant?

Olive Garden

Books I have been wanting to read?

Fablehaven and Five Kingdoms by Brandon Mull

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Being able to actually teach this year and seeing the growth my students made my SLOs

What has been your biggest challenge?

Balancing the many various curriculums that preschool uses

# data[].attributes.body
Teacher Librarian @ The Lane

the freedom!

Aba (Mediterranean food)

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

Getting to know all of my new students

Balancing STEAM Fun with Library Fun

# data[].attributes.body
School, Grade Level/Content Taught?

Madison School, Kindergarten

Best part of winter break for me was...

Sitting on the couch for an extended period of time

What is your favorite restaurant?

Taco Express

Book I have been wanting to read...

None at this time. I am exclusively a summer-reader

What has been your biggest success of the year?

Surviving my first year of teaching (mostly)

What has been your biggest challenge?

Saving enough money for my boyfriend & I to move out of my parents' house (:
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