Blogs Our AUSL schools are uniquely positioned in Chicago and even nationally due to our amazing teachers. What a great way to end the school year by celebrating the commitment to transformational teaching in our classrooms. We have identified a new group of Madeleine Maraldi Fellows to join the ranks of distinguished AUSL teachers who embody the spirit of the award – proven excellence in teaching, leadership beyond the walls of one’s classroom, and a commitment to the mission and vision of AUSL.
Later this month, the awardees will travel to the Koldyke Ranch in New Mexico for three days. Their insights as Maraldi Fellows will help shape the vision of AUSL teacher leadership and AUSL’s Teacher Development Team.
Meet and learn about the 2014 Maraldi Awardees in their own words and check out the surprise visits to their classrooms!
Keviyona Ray
Grades 7-8, Johnson School of Excellence
“I want to develop and expand my leadership skills. Learning new and invigorating ways to lead and challenge others will allow me to become a better leader in my school and within the AUSL Network. I am energized by the thought of working alongside other fellows who have the same vision as I have; which is all children can learn and become productive citizens when given the tools to succeed.
I believe that being in the Fellow program will allow me the opportunity to share my ideas and learn from other teacher leaders. In order to accomplish my goals I want to learn to balance my priorities as a teacher and a leader. I know that in order for me to meet the needs of my teachers and my students I need to be able to create an agenda that will better assist me in meeting the needs of everybody.”
Christerralyn Brown
Christerralyn BrownGrades 6-8, Dewey School of Excellence
“Like the award’s namesake, Maraldi Fellows are innovative leaders who make the impossible possible through a single-minded focus to set goals for students, not limitations. I switched careers from speech pathology because I wanted to have a greater impact on students and I knew there were so many opportunities to do so as a special education teacher.
Early on, I realized that no matter how high you set that ceiling, children will always stretch to reach the goal that you set, especially when they love you. My genuine love and respect for who children are and what they can do enables me to help children who have struggled the most change how they see themselves. I specialize in working with the most discouraged students. Through encouragement, rigor, and engagement, I get them to see themselves as every bit the scholar I know they can be. Maraldi Fellows are game changers and they level playing fields. It would be an honor to be considered this kind of educator.”
Brigid Comer
Grade 3, O’ Keeffe School of Excellence
“This year I had the opportunity to come to a new turnaround and be the part of the process of turning around a school for the second time. The staff at my school this year consists of close to twenty first year teachers. This has given me the opportunity to mentor and guide new teachers on their journey. I have truly enjoyed being able to share my experiences, advice and most often collaborate and pool resources to best serve our students.
Having this experience this school year has motivated me to pursue leadership opportunities. I am hoping to use my experience and knowledge of teacher’s needs to plan more professional development that is tailored to the strengths and needs of our staff. In collaboration with a literacy consultant I am working to take her teachings and present it in a more accessible way to first year teachers. Some of the best choices I have made as an educator have come under the advice of mentor teachers and coaches; people who had done the hard work themselves. I desire to take on that role someday.”
Vanessa Garcia
Grades 9-12, Solorio Academy High School
“When I think of my goals I think of everything I have to accomplish or fulfill to the fullest. Being part of the critical thinking PLC for the past two years has opened my eyes to the changes we can make to our curriculum in order to maintain cohesiveness with other subjects in our schools. The more united we are as a department and as a school the more we can learn. Furthermore, by promoting positive change within our school we are preparing and guiding our students toward college and future professions. Another one of my goals is to become a better mentor.
This was also the first year I had the pleasure of mentoring and this is something I never saw coming. Even though I was hesitant at first, I did not know I was going to learn so many things that I can now apply to my teaching. The fact that I had the opportunity to guide and help a resident acquire tools that are necessary and fulfilling to teaching has been an amazing experience. I’ve learned so much as an educator and I would love to keep doing it for years to come.”
E.M. Miller
Grades 9 & 11, Chicago Academy High School
“I have been looking for an opportunity within the network like the Maraldi Fellowship. I want to grow as an AUSL network leader. I am dedicated to my school and my network, and I want to take my leadership to the next level. I want to become an agent of change to equalize student opportunity and close the achievement gap within my school, network, the city, and the nation.
I think Chicago Academy High School and the AUSL Network are excellent starting points for affecting that kind of change. I have been a part of many efforts to take CAHS and the AUSL network to new levels of achievement; now I am ready to take a new step as a leader. I believe the year-long fellowship and support afforded by the Madeleine Maraldi Award will help me reach my personal and career goals by providing a supportive cohort of passionate, visionary educators with whom I can forge new ground in network leadership.”
Jamila Leonard
Kindergarten, National Teachers Academy
“As an educator committed to working toward systematic change to ensure that ALL children have the highest quality education, I believe that it is essential that teachers not only present rigorous instruction in their own classroom, but also help lead and develop the capacity of all of those around them. I would love to expand my leadership capacity by working to develop implementation plans for primary teachers using technology across the network. I would also like to help facilitate professional development at other school sites through technology Playdate sessions.
I have mentored for two years and with each resident that passes through my classroom I am able to learn and grow as a classroom teacher, coach and collaborative colleague. Mentoring pushes me to be reflective, enhances my professional capabilities, and allows me to impact not only the 30 students I teach, but also many more to come. I also think the experience of opening our doors and collectively reflecting on one another’s practice is invaluable. I strongly feel that understanding what’s going on in classrooms in and outside your own grade level will have a greater impact on student achievement. I want to work to make all of my team members comfortable with this. I also want to establish a culture for ongoing professional growth and develop that feels authentic and valuable.”
