Students in Jeanette Brosam’s class are rarely left without an engaging activity.
Throughout the year, the 24-year teaching veteran and her students hatch chicks through the Champaign County Farm Bureau’s Chicks in the Classroom program, sort themselves into “houses” during her Harry Potter read-aloud, make igneous rocks from Airheads candy, make volcanoes that erupt and much more.
While making students feel at home in her fourth-grade classroom at Champaign’s South Side Elementary the last two years, Brosam has also found her place.
“Although I am only in my second year teaching fourth grade,” she said, “it feels like I have finally found the place I was meant to be.”
I find my work important because ... teaching is so much more than just imparting knowledge. Every day, students are becoming better humans by working collaboratively with each other and navigating social situations. They are becoming critical thinkers when they engage in inquiry-based projects and class discussions. They are becoming conscientious citizens as they learn more about their community and the world around them. Not only do I get to see them grow academically, but I also get to see them grow as people. I feel so blessed to get to be a part of it.
I became a teacher because ... I have always loved learning and enjoyed school. I had so many good teachers that made school a special place for me, I wanted to create that same feeling for children. I want my classroom to be a place that kids feel safe and feel a part of.
My favorite or most unique lesson is ... the ones in which I can incorporate hands-on activities. I strongly believe that children learn by doing and so I try to incorporate as many opportunities for experiential learning as I can. I also think learning should be fun! Yes, learning is serious business, but it should also be challenging and exciting and inspirational. My goal is to provide an environment where students are excited and happy to come to school. I love when I see them in the morning and they come running asking, “Ms. Brosam, what are we going to do today?”
My most fulfilling moments are when ... the victories students have that I get to share. A student finally conquers long division, another masters the cursive Z. A student who struggles with self-control makes a good behavior choice. A shy student speaks up during a class discussion. To an outsider, these moments may not seem like much, but for me, these are the golden moments. There is nothing like the feeling when a student is experiencing something for the first time or mastering a skill for the first time and they look up at you and smile.
I keep students engaged by ... incorporating a lot of project-based learning. This year we have built circuits, made salt-dough maps of Illinois, composed Dolphin calls, and made foam sculptures of sound waves. We made igneous rocks from Airheads candy, completed numerous math research projects (can you name animals that have over 100 teeth?), created erupting volcanoes, and experienced the Intolerable Acts first hand by paying taxes to King George, just to name a few. These types of projects help the learning to come alive and keep students engaged in what we are doing.
Something else I’m passionate about is ... extending learning beyond the four walls of my classroom. We are so fortunate to live in an area that provides a wealth of opportunities and experiences for students. This year, my students have worked with scientists from the University of Illinois’ Beckman institute on original invention designs. We learned about biomimicry from naturalists from the Anita Purves Nature Center. Through the SPOT program, students submitted personal narratives to the UI’s theater department and saw those stories turned into live performances, and we have also been able to attend several performances at Krannert. Most recently, we participated in the Champaign County Farm Bureau’s Chicks in the Classroom program and hatched chicken eggs. These experiences help students connect the knowledge they are learning to real-life situations. They make learning meaningful and magical!
My favorite teacher and subject to study were ... I have two teachers that would qualify as my favorites. The first was Mr. Thompson, my government and current-events teacher at Newton Community High School. Not only did he make class interesting and relevant for students, he also showed me that teachers can show grace towards students when they make mistakes. My other favorite teacher was my fourth-grade teacher, Mr. Slover, at North Clay Elementary in Louisville, Ill. We did a lot of really fun projects that year and he read aloud most of the books by Roald Dahl, his favorite author. If only fourth-grade me could see me now!
If I weren’t a teacher, I would be ... Although I can’t ever imagine not being a teacher, I would probably be a party planner! My friends like to joke, “Give Jeanette a theme, and she will be off and running!” I think the skills I use now to plan and design units and lessons would come in handy when planning events.
— ANTHONY ZILIS