Throughout the year, the Chicago Teacher Residency distributes CTR Value Awards to current Residents that embody three values: Student-Centered, Equity-Driven, and Courage to Persist. CTR staff celebrated the first awards of the year at October’s Professional Development meeting.
These five Residents were the year’s first award winners:
Shantavia Russell (Student-Centered)
“Shantavia is extremely student centered and driven in all the work she does. She has built extremely strong relationships and rapport with her students. She has a positive no nonsense warm demeanor teacher persona. Shantavia is extremely authentic and holds students to the utmost highest expectations all while making learning fun and relevant.”
Karina Estrada (Equity-Driven)
“Karina is extremely dedicated to providing the Piccolo community and students what they need, even if it goes above and beyond her teaching responsibilities (ie. volunteering to help translate or helping with after school programming). She knows her students well, and puts their needs at the center of everything. She is also very coachable, welcoming feedback, even in the midst of teaching students.”
Lan Nguyenl (Student-Centered)
“Lan has been working very hard to get familiar with the CTR values and Teacher Moves. She is extremely reflective and has always been seeking opportunities to teach and engage students in the classroom. Lan has been applying feedback from her CTR Associate Director, Mentor Teacher, as well as other residents.”
Suzette Layman (Courage to Persist)
“Suzette’s consistent pursuit of excellence, willingness to seek help, and her readiness to offer support when needed are truly admirable qualities. Suzette’s ability to maintain her joyful spirit, show compassion, and remain curious in the face of challenges is a testament to her resilience and positive attitude. Her dedication and determination to persist through obstacles serve as an inspiration to others, making her a valuable asset to any team or community.”
Claudia Gonzalez (Student-Centered)
“Claudia is reflective and flexible, and actively seeks feedback to improve her practice for her students. I was observing a few weeks ago and noticed she was doing a great job asking a variety of questions during a read aloud, and learned that was feedback her mentor gave her the day before. She implemented it the next day, and we saw the improvement in student learning – the definition of student centered.”
Congratulations to these five Residents on going above and beyond in the classroom! New award winners will be named at future trainings throughout the remainder of the school year.
Do you know someone that wants to become a teacher in Chicago? Refer them to the Chicago Teacher Residency here and get rewarded!
