April's WWEA Educator Spotlight

The Wheaton Warrenville Education Association (WWEA) would like to introduce Ms. Mary Carlson, a 19 year elementary school educator, teaching 4th grade at Lowell Elementary in District 200. Ms. Carlson earned her Masters in Teaching from National-Louis University and volunteers for numerous committees within Lowell Elementary. Presently and in the past, she’s contributed to the :

• Reading Curriculum Piloting Team where she researched a variety of reading curricula to determine what is best for elementary students.
• Piloting, Pacing, and Report Card Committees for Math where she worked with a talented group of educators to present teaching strategies in math to fourth grade teachers.
• Battle of the Books, which is a reading incentive program with a competitive twist. For several years, Ms. Carlson and a colleague would volunteer to help students review various literary books during lunch or after school. Then they would meet with other schools within Wheaton and in District 200 to see which school team could answer the most questions.
• School Improvement Team where they analyze testing data to identify areas where the entire school may improve.
• Lowell Technology Committee. This consists of a team of educators who work with the principal to share ways to use technology in the classroom.

Ms. Carlson’s road to becoming an educator began when she was in third grade. Even now, she reminisces about that school year and the practice essay she wrote in cursive explaining why she wanted to be a teacher. As a young adult, Ms. Carlson taught religious education classes that sparked her interest in education and led her to change the direction of her career. She soon discovered the joy of working with children. She recalls the excitement at the start of each new school year where students are refreshed and ready for new challenges. Ms. Carlson explains, “As the year passes, you have moments where a student soars, and you mark each of those celebrations. The moments that are the most special are the instances where a student is struggling with a concept, and you support and guide them until their light bulb goes off.” Ms. Carlson clearly takes great pride in the opportunity to guide and encourage her students along their academic path to witness the feeling of accomplishment as it rises within a student when earning success. These moments are very rewarding for Ms. Carlson. She especially loves hearing from former students who are majoring in education or have graduated from college with a degree in education.

Continue encouraging your students along their academic journey, Ms. Carlson. Thank you for sharing your love of learning with your students.