Lauren P.

Lauren is a licensed Early Childhood educator with more than six years of experience teaching and supporting students from preschool through 5th grade in both general education and special education settings. She graduated from Elmhurst University in May of 2021 with a degree in Early Childhood Education and holds an endorsement in English as a Second Language as well as a Letter of Approval in Special Education, allowing her to effectively support diverse learners, including English Learners and students with IEPs. She has served as a kindergarten teacher, first-grade classroom teacher, special services teacher, and long-term substitute, giving her a well-rounded understanding of how to meet the unique learning needs of every child. Lauren specializes in building foundational literacy and math skills while fostering confidence, independence, and social-emotional growth through engaging, differentiated instruction. Lauren believes that strong partnerships with families and positive relationships with students are the foundation of academic success. A strength she takes pride in is getting to know her students’ background and interests. This way she can incorporate the student’s interests into fun and exciting lessons. Lauren is eager to help students succeed and feel confident in their learning by finding creative ways to make learning meaningful and teaching different strategies that best support each individual child’s learning needs. When she’s not working, she enjoys reading, painting/drawing, hiking, and snuggling up with her dog, Koda! Lauren loves seeing her students excel and find enjoyment in learning!

Kylie N.

Kylie is a passionate middle grades educator dedicated to helping students build confidence, strengthen their academic skills, and discover that learning can be both engaging and enjoyable. She began her educational journey at Mohave Community College before continuing her studies at Murray State University and later transferring to the University of St. Francis, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Middle Grade Education with a concentration in English Language Arts, graduating cum laude. Kylie completed a year-long teaching internship in an 8th grade ELA classroom and now works as a paraprofessional supporting students in grades 6–8 through classroom instruction and individualized academic support. Her strengths include reading, writing, grammar, and helping students develop confidence through engaging and interactive lessons.

Kylie believes strong relationships are the foundation of successful education and strives to incorporate students’ interests and learning styles into every lesson while supporting Illinois learning standards. She loves seeing the “light bulb moment” when students fully understand new material and begin believing in their own abilities. Outside of education, you can usually find Kylie with a book in hand, exploring hiking trails, or playing PC and Xbox games. These hobbies often help her connect with students and make learning more relatable. She also enjoys spending time with her family and young son. At home, her two dogs and two cats always keep life entertaining.

 

Azareel L

Azareel is an experienced Early Childhood educator with over 17 years in the field. She holds a Master’s degree and a Professional Educator License, and currently teaches in a dual language kindergarten classroom within a public school setting.

Azareel is deeply passionate about working with young learners and is committed to meeting each child at their individual level. She believes that every child can succeed when given the right support, patience, and encouragement. Her teaching approach focuses on building confidence, fostering a love for learning, and creating a supportive environment where students feel comfortable and understood.

In her spare time, Azareel works one-on-one with children ranging from age 6 through middle school. She has successfully supported students in improving their reading, writing, vocabulary, and math skills through personalized, engaging instruction.

In addition to her classroom experience, Azareel has worked with children with special needs, allowing her to provide individualized strategies that support diverse learning styles and abilities.

She is dedicated to helping students grow academically and emotionally, making learning a positive and empowering experience.

 

Deborah B.

Debbie has dedicated her life to teaching and can’t imagine it any other way. Currently a reading specialist, her long career has included a wide variety of educational experiences and learning opportunities. To begin her career, she earned a B.S.Ed. in Special Education from NIU and taught for six years in instructional classrooms in which elementary and middle school students had a variety of special needs. Given the unique struggles that the students in her classes had learning to read and write, Debbie returned to NIU and achieved her M.S.Ed. in Reading Education. She then taught reading and writing in a middle school general education classroom for two years.

As a teacher of both special education and general education, Debbie yearned to work with students who would benefit from individual or specialized instruction in order to thrive. Her decision to become a middle school reading specialist allows her to do this. An additional part of her role is to provide professional learning for other educators in how to embed best literacy practices into their classrooms.

Debbie has two daughters – one who is grown and the other in college. Both girls were diagnosed with anxiety disorders while in school. So Debbie knows, from the perspective of a parent, the complexities of meeting the needs of a child who struggles. Debbie believes in the importance of forming positive relationships with students, which is dependent on seeing each student as a whole person. Each student brings unique experiences, strengths, and fears to every learning situation. It is through recognizing a child’s strengths and interests that they learn that it is safe to make mistakes. That is how we learn. It’s how we learn to master skills and enjoy learning.

Debbie lives with her family, dogs, and cats, in Elburn. She loves playing with her pets, walking in the woods, watching baseball, and working with children.

 

Marla T.

Marla is an Ontario Certified Teacher with a Bachelor of Education from University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Applied Arts from Ryerson University. She has taught all aspects of Language Arts to grades 4 to 7, as well as Math, Science and Social Studies. Marla brings enthusiasm and positivity to connect with the student’s own sense of natural curiosity towards building solid foundations for comprehension and problem solving. Recognizing every student has a unique way of learning, Marla supports each student in employing effective learning strategies, building independent critical thinking skills and improving confidence towards achieving their full potential.

With a Certificate for Intermediate Level French with Alliance Française Marla also has taught French to grades 1 to 5 in the private school setting and would welcome assisting students in the joy of learning French!

With a background in Visual Arts Marla is a fine artist who has also taught art, drawing and painting to students grades 1 to 6.