Jamie S.

Jamie Shabez is a certified teacher. She grew up in River Grove, Illinois, and received her Associate of Arts degree from Triton College. She then went on to study at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education along with her ESL certification (English as a Second Language). Since graduation, Jamie has taught kindergarten for 3 years, first grade for 2 years, and is currently teaching fifth grade. She has had an interest in teaching ever since she was young, and that love for helping children grow and reach their full potential has continued to develop each year. One of her favorite things about education is knowing she can have a positive influence on kids and help them foster a love for learning. Seeing that “lightbulb” go on when they grasp a new concept and it clicks is a transformative moment that inspires Jamie to continue to strive to be the best teacher and support system she can be for children. In her spare time, she loves to explore new hiking trails and go camping, weightlift, try new recipes in the kitchen, read a good book, or work on puzzles.

Lacey S.

Lacey Schedler graduated from The University of Tampa with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She is currently finishing her Master’s Degree online at Wayne State College in order to become certified as a Reading Specialist. Ms. Schedler also has endorsements in Reading and English Language Learners. She has taught for seven years and has experience teaching Kindergarten- Second Grade. Lacey is passionate and dedicated to helping students learn and grow, especially those who struggle. She can relate to the frustrations your student might be feeling, as she struggled when she was a child. Due to her hard work and perseverance, she has gotten to where she is today and has successfully helped students go from below grade level to on grade level within one school year. Ms. Schedler is confident that she will have a positive impact on your child’s learning and success. She is looking forward to working with your child this summer!

Lisa M.

Lisa is a certified teacher with 25 years of experience teaching 4th–8th grade across all subjects. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education, a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Leadership, and an additional 30 hours in Curriculum Development. Through her experience, she has expertise in differentiated instruction and building social-emotional skills in the classroom. Lisa believes that strong relationships, a focus on self-efficacy, and a love of learning are key to helping students reach their full potential. She meets each student where they are and creates a supportive environment that fosters both academic success and personal growth.

In her free time, Lisa enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and traveling with her husband, two daughters, and their two dogs.

Margaret M.

An experienced and results oriented professional educator of Elementary/High School children with learning disabilities, developmental disability and social/emotional disorders. Consistently achieved or exceeded management goals and objectives; excellent interpersonal and communication skills at all levels of the organization, with associates, students and parents; a team leader and builder with a motivational style. Technically knowledgeable and experienced in utilizing a variety of learning platforms and strategies. Creative and innovative; a problem solver; achievement and accomplishment oriented; dedicated and reliable.

Certified (K-12) Standard Special Education LBS1, LD/SED, unlimited Certified (K-9) Standard Elementary General Education. Proven ability to accurately assess learning problems; EMBRACE skilled in developing Individual Education Plans effectively monitor progress and collect data for behavior, functional analysis. Developed and implemented pre-vocational curriculum in a high school setting. Participated in Intervention training to develop diverse teaching strategies. Implement a team-oriented approach for working with teachers, psychologists, social workers, speech pathologists. Commended in Performance Evaluations for outstanding

Amanda M.

Amanda holds a professional educators license in Illinois and has her Master’s in Curriculum &
Instruction with specialized endorsements in Director of Special Education, LBS1, Reading
Specialist, and ESL. She is a certified Wilson Reading System Level 1 Practitioner and has 11
years of experience working with students in grades K-5 in diverse settings.

Born and raised in Downers Grove, Amanda grew up a lover of school and learning with an
extra passion for math. As she started her career in teaching, her passion switched to reading
and teaching reading! Amanda participated in competitive dance and cheer throughout her
collegiate years and continues to be as active as she can lifting, running, and completing her
first marathon in October 2024! Amanda loves working with students of all ages and abilities,
helping them accomplish their goals and move on to the next challenge!

Breanna L.

Breanna is a dedicated educator with a passion for helping young learners. She graduated from Elmhurst University in May of 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, an endorsement for teaching Multilingual English Learners, a letter of approval to teach Early Childhood Special Education, and a minor in Music.

Breanna is a first-year Kindergarten teacher excitedly preparing to continue teaching Kindergarten in her second year next fall. With many years of childcare experience behind her, having worked as a babysitter, nanny, and tutor, she brings a warm and patient approach to teaching. She enjoys finding ways to make learning fun and meaningful.

In her free time, Breanna loves to sing, play instruments, crochet, and hike. She loves to spend time with her family. She has a family dog named Riley. She also adopted her first pet in August – an 8 year old cat named Callie!

Maddie B.

Maddie currently works as an administrative assistant in road construction but discovered a passion for helping people as a substitute teacher at Stevenson High School. She grew up in Illinois, but moved to Vancouver, BC, to complete a Bachelor of Arts in history with a minor in Spanish. Along the way, she discovered that she enjoyed her minor much more than history and completed additional classes in Spanish/English translation with UC San Diego Extension. Nowadays, Maddie is preparing for grad school to switch to a career in Occupational Therapy, but she still enjoys using and learning Spanish as well as teaching it to others. Beyond academic and career pursuits, her favorite activities include reading, art, and skiing. She hopes to start enjoying rock climbing once she’s gone a few more times.

Grace H.

Grace graduated from Loras College in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a minor in Computer Science. Grace was also an NCAA Division III athlete for the Loras College Women’s Softball Team. She found success on the field and in the classroom during her time there. Grace is pursuing her Master’s in Mathematics at Loyola University of Chicago. She was a teaching assistant for the mathematics program for 1.5 years, holding office hours to aid students in their studies, grading homework, quizzes, or exams, and helping during classes. Grace enjoys helping students build confidence in the classroom (and on the field).

Tamara A.

Meet Tamara, a current undergraduate student at North Central College! Tamara is studying German and Secondary Education and is set to graduate in 2027. Besides her main studies, she has a minor in teaching English Learners and has experience teaching in a Spanish-bilingual classroom. Outside of obtaining teaching experience in various schools, Tamara tutors North Central College students in public speaking. Through all of these teaching opportunities, her overall goal is to make learning fun and memorable.

During her personal time she loves to sing and teach little ones at her local church. As well as, taking cooking classes on YouTube and spending time with loved ones.

Rebecca T.

Rebecca is a licensed French teacher with over a decade of experience teaching in McHenry county. Growing up in Dupage county, she graduated from Wheaton North High School before pursuing a French degree from University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. During her studies she lived in the historic heart of Paris where she quickly fell (more) in love with French language, culture, and travel. Upon graduation she returned to school to pursue a Masters in Teaching from National Louis University.

Throughout her tenure as an educator in McHenry county, Rebecca built a thriving French program infusing music, film, and pop-culture into her lessons. She won the Star 105.5 teacher of the month in November of her second year teaching after being nominated by several of her students. She ran a robust French club hosting activities from movie nights to cheese tastings, field trips to French restaurants, and cooking demonstrations. She also organized, planned, and chaperoned overseas travel to France where her students could put their skills to the test in an authentic setting.

As a lifelong learner Rebecca takes pride in the learning process. She loves to watch the light-bulb moment when a new concept clicks for a student. Outside the classroom Rebecca likes to spend time with her family, travel, read, and cook. She looks forward to helping your student get excited about French and the Francophone world!