No more sink or swim: How one Illinois program aims to train more resilient, longer-lasting teachers

By Yana Kunichoff for Chalkbeat

“Just two years out of high school, Leo Sanchez can easily recall the drowsy feeling of sitting in a Chicago classroom on a warm day.  So he recognized the moment this month at Julian High School when he needed to rouse his 12 students and had them stand up to work in small groups on presentations on Reconstruction, slave revolts and other Civil War topics.  “They want to do something that is engaging and fun,” said Sanchez, a rising junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, who aspires to be a teacher and to guard against boring students. “That helps me when it comes to lesson planning and knowing what I want to do with them.”  Sanchez and 120 fellow undergrads are spending four weeks this summer student teaching, guided by mentors from the Golden Apple Foundation in a program designed to give prospective teachers hands-on experience. The program invests in a key part of the teacher training pipeline — providing experience in an actual classroom, to foster more resilient teachers.”

Richwoods High School graduate Delaina Martin named Distinguished Teacher

By Chris Kaergard for the Journal Star

“Delaina Martin, a math teacher at Chicago Bulls College Prep, is one of 20 educators in the Noble Network of Charter Schools named to the organization’s Distinguished Teacher program. The graduate of Richwoods High School in Peoria, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education is part of the program covering 17 high schools in Chicago that recognizes effective teachers who achieve exceptional impact with students. Each member of the program receives $10,000 annually as long as they remain with the Noble schools.”

Robinson recognized as ‘distinguished teacher’

By the Journal Review

“The Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago has announced its first 20 recipients of its newly created ​Distinguished Teacher program, including Jeremy Robinson, an English teacher at Noble’s Rauner College Prep. Robinson is a 2004 graduate of Wabash College who later became a Rhodes Scholar. Distinguished Teacher provides an industry-changing approach to celebrating and rewarding teachers who are achieving an exceptional impact with students. Among other benefits, each Distinguished Teacher will receive $10,000 annually for as long as they remain teachers at Noble.”

Wabash grad honored for his work as a teacher

By The Paper 

“Jeremy Robinson, a 2004 graduate of Wabash College, has recently been named a Distinguished Teacher by the Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago, one of the leading public charter school systems in America. Distinguished Teacher is a newly created program in which 20 exemplary teachers across the network’s 17 high school campuses are recognized for their impact as an educator. Distin-guished teacher aims to reward, celebrate and learn from Noble’s most effective teachers. Among other benefits, each Distinguished Teacher will receive $10,000 annually for as long as they remain teachers at Noble.”

Southtowners: Tinley Park’s Amanda Meyers named Distinguished Teacher

By the Chicago Tribune

“The Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago named Amanda Meyers, a 2007 graduate of Andrew High School, a Distinguished Teacher. Meyers, a Tinley Park native who teaches English, graduated from the University of Illinois and has now taught at Pritzker College Prep in Chicago for six years. “Being named a Distinguished Teacher validates my classroom practices,” Meyers said. “While I always have room to grow and will continue to seek out these opportunities, I know I am growing in the right direction. The most humbling part of the entire process was reading the student feedback and hearing their comments when I received the award. Receiving this title has shown me that they, and the Noble Network, recognize and value my effort.”

Ridgefield native honored as ‘Distinguished Teacher’ in Chicago

By the Ridgefield Press

“Kristin Parry, a 2006 graduate of Ridgefield High School and a Ridgefield native, has recently been named a Distinguished Teacher by the Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago, one of the leading public charter school systems in America. Distinguished Teacher is a newly created program in which 20 exemplary teachers across the network’s 17 high school campuses are recognized for their impact as an educator. Distinguished teacher aims to reward, celebrate and learn from Noble’s most effective teachers. Among other benefits, each Distinguished Teacher will receive $10,000 annually for as long as they remain teachers at Noble.”

West Ottawa alum honored by Chicago school system

By Mitchell Boatman for the Holland Sentinel

“A 2002 West Ottawa graduate has been recognized as a Distinguished Teacher by The Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago. Matthew Insalaco, a math teacher at Noble’s UIC College Prep, was honored in the initial round of recipients for the new program. “I’m my own worst critic, and as a result I can become defeated when results are not in line with my own expectations,” Insalaco said in a news release. “Being named a Distinguished Teacher gives me a reminder of the impact I have, and am continuing to have, on students. It’s a reminder to be kind to myself, especially on those more challenging days.” The program was started as a way to celebrate and reward teachers who are having a positive impact on their students.”