Five Teachers Named as Winners for the 10th Anniversary of the 2005 Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards
Media Contact:
Gail Sikevitz
847/433-8340 ext. 11
|
CHICAGO, May 7, 2005
Five of metropolitan Chicago’s finest teachers who work with children between birth and age eight have been selected as winners of the 2005 Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards. These recipients exemplify the best practices of quality early childhood teaching: dedication, innovation, leadership, respect for children and their families, and commitment to professional growth. They work in childcare centers, preschools, State Prekindergartens, and kindergarten through second-grade classrooms in public, private, and parochial schools throughout the Chicago area. These five winners will be honored at the 2005 Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards luncheon ceremony on Tuesday, June 14, at the Westin River North in Chicago.
The process began last fall when a nomination committee of more than 50 outstanding educators, early childhood specialists, and administrators nominated a select group of outstanding teachers for consideration.
Twenty finalists were then chosen by the selection committee of noted early childhood experts from the pool of nominees, all of whom are full-time teachers from the three-county Chicago metropolitan area (Cook, Lake, and DuPage counties). Each finalist was then observed in the classroom, and was later interviewed by the selection committee.
The Kohl McCormick Award winners for 2005:(For additional information, please see attached listing and profiles.)
Carol Engberg, who fosters infant learning at Lutheran General Children’s Day Care in Des Plaines, teaches parents as well. She uses photographs and work samples displayed on documentation boards to explain how actions that may appear messy—such as painting their arms and faces, shredding paper, and putting toys in their mouths—are, in fact, a vital part of the exploratory process that is infant education. These boards—developed using Reggio Emilia principles—help parents feel connected to their child’s day and instruct them on the finer points of early childhood education. “I want them to view the relationship between parent, child and teacher as a dance, following each other’s lead,” proclaims Engberg. This award-winning teacher also finds that learning each child’s temperament can inform interactions. She eagerly shares what she learns with parents. “I try to help them see that a trait, such as persistence, may be difficult to deal with now, yet may be seen as a strength in their child’s later years.”
Edwina Klein has taught prekindergarten in the Chicago Public Schools for 25 years. She currently teaches a culturally diverse population of at-risk three- and four-year-olds at the Portage Park State Pre-K. “I look upon passion as a criterion for teaching, and passion as an indicator of quality. We need passion for the success of tomorrow’s children,” says Klein. Bonnie Roelle, Manager of the North Area State Prekindergarten, says, “Edwina is forever implementing new techniques to motivate her students and inspire their parents.” Her students use journals daily. Graphing is used to develop math skills. But beyond specific activities, Klein looks to the children themselves for their learning. Klein utilizes every opportunity to create “teachable moments.” Dedicated to her profession, Klein’s classroom has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and she has been a validator for others since that time. Klein was recently chosen to represent Chicago Public Schools at a conference in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Rosemary Mangosing may be the new face of Chicago Catholic schoolteachers. A young woman of Filipino and Italian descent, Mangosing is devoted to her African-American second graders at Our Lady of the Gardens in Altgeld Gardens on Chicago's far south side. Her work in literacy is designed not only to provide her students with reading and writing skills, but also a firm sense of self-esteem. In a writing project for Black History Month, her students wrote “Black is captivating,” “Black is a part of God,” and “Black is anything it wants to be.” In creating their own African-American History Museum, they learned about the past and, in donating all the proceeds from the dime admission fee to a local shelter, they also learned compassion for others. Mangosing has made herself an important part of the community outside her classroom as well. The petite teacher stands tall as an assistant basketball coach for the seventh- and eighth-grade girls’ basketball team, and is also a mentor to new teachers.
Astrid Schüler, a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Liberty School in Cicero, is the embodiment of the American dream. A native of Chile, Schüler journeyed to America with her two children, $200 in her pocket, and not a word of English in her vocabulary. In the 12 years since, she has been inspiring children to find their own dreams. This magical storyteller draws from her personal history and knowledge of different cultures to engage students. She uses her inner strength to role model, encouraging children to learn and achieve. The Liberty School neighborhood is primarily low-income Latino families—when Schüler discovered many of her students’ parents could not read she started free Spanish literacy classes for them. “She taught me how to read. Before, I had to have neighbors read for me. Now I can do it myself, and I can help my child,” says one thankful parent. Schüler declares, “I believe that every child deserves a superb education.” The children in her kindergarten classroom certainly are getting a fine start.
Aurelia Spurlark, a prekindergarten teacher at North Kenwood/Oakland Charter School, operates on a simple motto: “Play is learning.” But playtime in Spurlark’s room is not, by any means, a free-for-all. For Spurlark, “play” is an acronym for “Planned Learning Activities for Young children.” Spurlark explains, “I believe that play is important because it allows children to inquire and discover.” And it’s not just the children who are able to learn from Spurlark. “Watching her interaction with the children teaches you, as a parent, proper interaction,” says Tracy Smith-Jackson, whose two sons have been in Spurlark’s class. Spurlark treasures the bonds she forms with families. Teaching has been a contagious passion within her own family. Her grandparents were teachers, as is her mother, who today, at 81, still works in education at the University of Chicago. Presented with these role models in her youth, Spurlark dreamed of being a teacher. Now that her dream has come true, hundreds of children have had an excellent start to fulfilling their own dreams.
Each of the five recipients receives:
- A $5,000 cash award
- A $1,000 cash award to each winner's school or center
- A visit and workshop from the Kohl McCormick StoryBus, providing hands-on learning for early literacy
- A field trip and workshop at the Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago
- A graduate-level course at Chicago's renowned Erikson Institute
Winners are also inducted into the Kohl McCormick Academy of Outstanding Educators.
While there are numerous teaching awards in the United States, the Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards is the first awards program to formally recognize the contributions of teachers working with children from infancy through third grade. Now celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Kohl McCormick Awards program has become a model for recognition of outstanding early childhood educators.
“This awards program exists to remind everyone – parents, teachers, and other professionals – of the critical importance of quality early childhood education,” observes Gail Sikevitz, executive director of the Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards. “These winners embody the finest characteristics of quality teaching – respect for children and their families, excellent teaching practices, and leadership within the field. We hope that the awards program validates their efforts and the work of all outstanding educators.”
The Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards program is sponsored by the McCormick Tribune Foundation and the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation. Since 1993, the education program of the McCormick Tribune Foundation has committed more than $50 million in resources and expertise to improve the quality of early childhood education in the metropolitan Chicago area.
Visit
www.kohlmccormickawards.org to learn more about the awards program.
Winners – 2005 Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards
Carol Engberg
School: Lutheran General Children’s Day Care
9375 Church St.
Des Plaines, IL 60016
847-824-5180
Child Care Center-Infants (NAEYC accredited)
Residence: Mount Prospect, Illinois
Edwina Klein
School: Portage Park State Pre-K (Chicago Public Schools)
5330 West Berteau Ave.
Chicago, IL 60641
773-534-3576
State Pre-K
Residence: Arlington Heights, Illinois
Rosemary Mangosing
School: Our Lady of the Gardens (Chicago Catholic Schools)
13300 S. Langley Ave.
Chicago, IL 60627
773-568-4099
Second Grade
Residence: Hyde Park neighborhood, Chicago
Astrid Schüler
School: Liberty School (Cicero Public School District 99)
4946 W. 13th St.
Cicero, IL 60804
708-780-4475
Kindergarten
Residence: Berwyn, Illinois
Aurelia Spurlark
School: North Kenwood/Oakland Charter School(Chicago Public Schools)
1119 East 46th St.
Chicago, IL 60653
773-536-2399
Prekindergarten
Residence: Hyde Park neighborhood, Chicago
2005 Kohl McCormick Finalists LISTING BY NEIGHBORHOOD
The finalists live or work in the following areas:
Arlington Heights: Edwina Klein – residence
Berwyn: Astrid Schüler – residence
Chicago: Edwina Klein – school (Portage Park)
Rosemary Mangosing – school (Altgeld Gardens) & residence (Hyde Park)
Aurelia Spurlark – school (North Kenwood-Oakland) & residence
(Hyde Park)
Cicero: Astrid Schüler – school
Des Plaines: Carol Engberg – school
Mt. Prospect: Carol Engberg – residence
Profiles
Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Award Winner 2005
Carol Engberg
Lutheran General Children’s Day Care
9375 Church Street, Des Plaines
Infants and Toddlers
Carol Engberg knew from a very early age that she wanted to be a teacher. “When I was eight years old, my third-grade teacher inspired me to become a teacher because of her love for children.” While Engberg has worked with many different age groups throughout her long career, she says she feels “most connected” to infants.
Engberg’s classroom at Lutheran General Children’s Day Care in Des Plaines is a very inviting place for the infants to 24-month-olds who attend each day, and a valuable place for parents to learn about the development of their children. Engberg explains to adults that what may look like a mess to them is in fact a vital part of the educational process. When a mother saw her son covering himself in paint, Engberg was right there to point out the infant boy was demonstrating an eagerness to explore objects, and to see how different materials interact.
Because parents cannot always be in the classroom to witness such milestones, Engberg uses Reggio Emilia principles to capture and explain them through photographs and work samples displayed on documentation boards. This serves many purposes, including helping parents feel connected to their child’s day. “I want them to view the relationship between parent, child and teacher as a dance, following each other’s lead,” proclaims Engberg.
Engberg also finds learning about each child’s temperament is a key to her interactions. And she uses this information to help parents better understand their children. “I try to help them see that a trait, such as persistence for example, may be difficult to deal with now, yet may be seen as a strength in their child’s later years.”
The children in Engberg’s room come from a wide variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds and have varying physical needs, and she prides herself on treating each with respect and individualized care. One child is fed through a tube. Others have needed infant massage, theraplay or physical therapy. “My goal is to help each child reach his or her potential by feeling special, respected and loved.”
Engberg believes strongly that literacy starts in infancy. She believes that reading, finger plays and speaking with babies is critical to literacy development. “Our daughter is not only loved and cared for,” says parent Stacey Steinke, “but nurtured and challenged to meet developmental milestones.”
To Carol Engberg, working with infants and toddlers is a joy. “It allows me to combine my love for children, passions for music, art and children’s literature, and my desire to be the best teacher I can be. It’s truly the best of all worlds.”
Edwina Klein
Portage Park State Pre-K
5330 West Berteau Avenue, Chicago
State Pre-K
“Children do not learn alone—relationships are at the center of their learning,” says Edwina Klein, who has taught Prekindergarten in the Chicago Public Schools for twenty-five years. Klein teaches a culturally diverse population of “at-risk” three- and four-year-old children at Portage Park State Pre-K.
“Every day when Edwina greets each child and parent, she makes them feel special and welcome,” observes Jeria Iannotti, who has worked with Klein frequently over the years. John Olivo, whose child was in Klein’s classroom last year, says, “I’ve always been amazed at the way she handles so many details at the opening of class sessions. It’s like watching a master juggler.”
“Edwina is forever implementing new techniques to motivate her students and inspire their parents,” says Bonnie Roelle, Manager of the North Area State Prekindergarten. Her students use journals every day. Graphing is used daily to develop math skills. But beyond specific activities, Klein looks to the children themselves for their learning. Klein utilizes every opportunity to create “teachable moments.”
“In her room, all learning taking place is experiential, yet nothing happens by chance,” says a recent visitor to her class. “Edwina is able to capture the right moments and find the right approaches to facilitate conversation with and learning for each child.”
Klein is also dedicated to a team approach. That dedication was reinforced recently when Klein was chosen to represent the Office of Early Childhood at a conference in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The Chicago Public Schools had no funding to send Klein’s teaching assistant with her. Klein felt so strongly that she and her assistant are a team that she personally helped pay for her colleague to make the journey with her.
Klein is extremely dedicated to her profession. She participates and presents at a multitude of workshops and conferences. Her classroom has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); Klein received validator training and has conducted validation visits since then.
In the end, Klein believes that teaching is perhaps most about passion. “I look upon passion as a criterion for teaching, and passion as an indicator of quality; we need passion for the success of tomorrow’s children.” And what fuels Klein’s passion? “I most enjoy the connections with children and their families,” she exclaims. “I love the children and the children always reciprocate.”
Rosemary Mangosing
Our Lady of the Gardens
13300 S. Langley Avenue, Chicago
Second Grade
Rosemary Mangosing may be the new face of Chicago Catholic schoolteachers. A young woman of Filipino and Italian descent, Mangosing is devoted to her African-American second graders in Altgeld Gardens on Chicago's far south side.
"Every child is a genius," says Mangosing. "I didn't believe that when I came into this profession—I thought I would be responsible for creating geniuses. But when I began teaching, my perspective changed. I've learned a lot about the genius of children from some amazing teachers, and some of the best of them hadn't even reached second grade."
Mangosing began her teaching career as an Inner-City Teaching Corps recruit assigned to Our Lady of the Gardens School. “Initially, I was going to pursue a career in writing,” recalls Mangosing. Instead, she found her calling. “I fell in love with the students, parents and community.” Mangosing’s initial volunteer stint of two years has stretched to six years of increasingly innovative teaching.
Such innovations have included the creation of an African-American History Museum. This project challenged the children to use a variety of skills and, perhaps more importantly, helped the children build self-esteem. The class charged museum visitors a dime admission fee, which then was donated to a local shelter. In fact, the children take on monthly service projects with incredible enthusiasm. They’ve made snack bags for the homeless, collected warm clothing for those in need, gathered books for a children’s hospital, and even sent a goat, through Heifer International, to a village in Uganda!
Mangosing’s class isn’t alone in their generosity. A few years ago, Mangosing herself began a minor scholarship fund that helps families with small monetary needs. With it, she has bought backpacks, paid for field trips, and helped graduates of the school pay for tuition and living expenses.
In her classroom, Mangosing’s primary focus is always literacy. That focus is designed to not only provide her students with reading and writing skills, but also help them build self-esteem. One example is the “Black is…” book that her students created. The children were prompted to complete the sentence “Black is…” and the responses included: “Black is captivating,” “Black is a part of God,” and “Black is anything it wants to be.” By involving parents, by having them read the books and write their comments, the project provided a powerful approach to address literacy, pride, and family involvement in the educational process.
Mangosing has made herself an important part of the community outside her classroom as well. The diminutive teacher stands tall as an assistant basketball coach for the seventh- and eighth-grade girls’ basketball team. She is also a mentor to new teachers and is involved in the Community Service Club. “She is really committed!” exclaims parent Deana Dixon.
Astrid Schüler
Liberty School
4946 W. 13th Street, Cicero
Kindergarten
Astrid Schüler’s story is that of the American dream. Working in a school in Chile, Schüler was asked by a visitor if she had any dreams. “In Santiago, we do not dream like you do in the U.S.,” she reflects now, “but I could not tell her this. So I told her, ‘I would like to see how they teach in other countries.’” Nine months later, she was on a jet headed for Chicago with two young daughters, two suitcases and just $200 in her pocket—and no English skills. By day, she worked at a Montessori; at night, she took classes to learn the language.
In the 12 years since, she has been inspiring children to find their own dreams. The neighborhood around Cicero’s Liberty School has a high influx of Hispanic Second Language Learners who come from low-income families. Schüler sees this as an opportunity to empower entire families. “Astrid not only loves her students, she loves and respects their parents as well,” says one former colleague. “Her ability to involve parents is phenomenal,” remarked Liberty Principal Sheila Harris.
Schüler found that many of her students’ parents could not read or write, so she took matters into her own hands. Two nights a week Schüler teaches Spanish literacy to parents. “She taught me how to read. Before, I had to have neighbors read for me. Now I can do it myself, and I can help my child,” says one thankful parent.
Schüler’s classroom is a bright, colorful and visually stimulating place. However, the children begin the day in a calming manner. They all sit on a rug with their teacher and, in hushed tones, listen to her speak. They respond by inhaling and exhaling deep, cleansing breaths, focusing them for their day.
In Schüler, the students also have a master storyteller. She uses her voice to draw in her students. And at the heart of her storytelling is a message. Whether reading a children’s book or telling a spontaneous tale, Schüler always has a moral to share.
Schüler’s students don’t just love her; they respect her, and each other. A recent visitor to Schüler’s classroom remarked that “the level of sophistication and maturity these students demonstrated was impressive. I had to remind myself that these were kindergarteners, not eighth graders!”
Schüler uses the Kagan Cooperative Learning structures in a Montessori-style environment. “Kagan group projects work well to defuse the frictions in this large and shifting population,” says Schüler.
Schüler’s warm, soothing manner also helps defuse such frictions. She tells of a boy who had problems with aggression. “I told him, ‘I love you, everybody loves you, you don’t need to punch and hit.’ The next day I heard him in conversation with a peer: ‘Edwin, why are you hitting? Don’t you know that we love you?’”
“I believe that every child deserves a superb education,” declares Schüler. The children in her kindergarten classroom certainly are getting a good start.
Aurelia Spurlark
North Kenwood/Oakland Charter School
1119 East 46th Street, Chicago
Prekindergarten
Aurelia Spurlark’s early childhood classroom operates on a simple motto: “Play is learning.” That phrase is boldly displayed on a cabinet as you enter the room. “I believe that play is important because it allows children to inquire and discover,” says Spurlark. “And like the children, I agree that we never have enough time for play!”
But playtime in Spurlark’s room is not, by any means, a free-for-all. For Spurlark, “play” is an acronym for “Planned Learning Activities for Young children.” Dr. Marv Hoffman, founding director of North Kenwood/Oakland Charter School (NKO), remembers the first time he observed Spurlark in action. “There she was, leading her young charges around the room to the strains of limbo music. She moved with such abandon that her children were swept up by her spirit and followed as if she were the Pied Piper herself!” exclaims Hoffman.
Literacy is another important component of Spurlark’s classroom. “Observing Aurelia reading aloud to her class is an exhilarating experience,” says Debra Fields, a colleague. “Her voice takes on the characters of the story while she generates those ‘I wonder’ questions to promote beginning comprehension with her young learners.”
“I remember being so surprised to see my three-year-old journaling, and loving it!” recalls Tracy Smith-Jackson, whose two sons have been in Spurlark’s class. “He was learning, but more importantly, he was having fun learning. My son is eight and still remembers these things.”
Spurlark treasures the bonds she forms with families. And it’s not just the children who are able to learn from Spurlark. “Watching her interaction with the children teaches you, as a parent, proper interaction,” says Smith-Jackson.
“Children seem to graduate from Aurelia’s class, but parents never seem to since she develops such strong and trusting relationships with her parent group,” observes NKO director Stacy Beardsley.
Education has always been in Spurlark’s blood. Her mother is 81, and still works in education at the University of Chicago. Her grandmother and grandfather were teachers as well. Spurlark’s aunt directed a Head Start program. Presented with these role models in her youth, Spurlark dreamed of being a teacher.
Now that her dream has come true, hundreds of children have had an excellent start to fulfilling their own dreams. As Smith-Jackson puts it, “Every child should be so lucky as to start their education with a Ms. Spurlark."