July's WWEA Educator Spotlight

The Wheaton Warrenville Education Association (WWEA) would like to introduce Ms. Cindy Blair, a 28 year District 200 educator from Emerson Elementary School. Ms. Blair is currently teaching first grade, but also experienced the second grade classroom for several years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University in 1986 and her Master’s degree in 2000 from National Louis University.

Ms. Blair was destined to become a teacher. Her mother taught Business at the high school level for 35 years. Her first grade teacher, Mrs. Grubaugh, was her idol. She taught Ms. Blair to love books and learning. Ms. Blair has inspired her own children to dedicate their lives to the education profession as well. Her oldest daughter teaches Social Studies at the high school level and her younger daughter just graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Visually Impaired Education. She believes that being a teacher means fostering a love and passion for reading and learning within her students. We are never too old to learn, and she strives to learn something new each and every day. She loves when her students teach her something new. She also understands that being an elementary educator means that some days she may spend more time with a student than parents are able to. This is a big responsibility where she strives to be the best role model possible for her students. Ms. Blair values education and the ever-evolving profession. She loves when students come back to visit her as they grow older.

One of the extracurricular activities that Ms. Blair is most proud of is the annual Fish Play, given for parents each spring. This event helps children perfect their reading fluency and offers them a chance to shine in front of their parents and peers. She also enjoys a fun first grade tradition called Reading Baseball that she instituted in 1986. It has grown from a small program that lasted the last half-hour of the school day to a month-long reading incentive program for students. They end the program with Baseball Day where they celebrate hundreds of hours of reading, a baseball lunch, wiffle ball outside, and fun prizes.

Thank you, Ms. Blair, for your dedication to lifelong learning and support of our students. We are very lucky that you have chosen to spend your entire educational career in District 200.