Hi there! My name is Ms. Lisa, and I am a bilingual elementary school teacher in Bucktown. I currently work with English learners in 2nd to 4th grade. The grades I directly service change over time, which means I have had the pleasure of working with 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th graders at my school.

One of the best things about this role is that I get to work with the same students for multiple years. I get to know them incredibly well and be a consistent, trusted adult in their classroom who they know is ready to support them with whatever they need. I can also assist in celebrating their emotional, academic, and physical growth with them over multiple years.

Another thing I love about my job is that it is always different depending on scheduling and student population each year. Part of my day might be spent working with a small group of 2nd graders on phonics and fluency skills, an entire class of 4th graders on multi-digit multiplication, or a handful of 8th graders on writing up their latest experiment. My day might also be spent working one-on-one with a 4th grader who moved to the US in September without knowing any English and had never had formal schooling before moving here or giving a 5th grader who started learning English two years ago her Science lesson in Spanish so she doesn’t miss out on any content because of language.

I have been an elementary school teacher for 3 years. Before that, I was a professor of Social Psychology and Law at the University of Florida, a personal stylist and store manager in women’s fashion retail, and a nanny. (The last one was to make sure I liked kids I wasn’t related to before returning to school to become a teacher…It turns out I do!)

As an educator, I focus on the child as a unique, whole learner. Every student has different strengths, areas of opportunity, and zones of proximal development where we can work. Students also need more than academic understanding and skills. They need social-emotional and executive functioning skills to focus and persevere through tasks.

I look forward to helping your student to grow, recognize their growth over time, and celebrate their progress with you.