Primary School Faculty
Our administration and faculty work toward the same goal: to create a learning environment that nurtures, inspires and challenges our students to develop their abilities to their full potential.
All Next Generation School faculty members exceed the minimum requirements for teaching in the public school systems. Prospective faculty members undergo a rigorous interview process.
PRIMARY A: Mrs. Jennifer Christianson and Mrs. Katie Walker
Mrs. Jennifer Christianson received her B.S. in Elementary Education from
Ball State University. She has been teaching for over ten years, in schools
in Michigan, Massachusetts, and now, Illinois. In addition to her elementary school teaching, Mrs. Christianson taught for three years in the Next Generation Early Education program, coordinating the “twos” classrooms and teaching in one of the four-year-olds classrooms.
Mrs. Christianson and her husband spent nearly two years living and working in Japan. She taught at a language school for young children (ages 5 – 10) who were learning English. She was also an instructor for several adult intermediate-level English classes. During their stay, she had the opportunity to travel to Singapore, Thailand and South Korea.
Mrs. Katie Walker has her B.S. in Elementary Education, with a concentration in Language Arts, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mrs. Walker earned the honor of being on the Dean’s List and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society while completing her degree. She also has an Associate of Arts degree from Parkland College in Champaign.
Prior to joining the Primary School faculty, Mrs. Walker taught for three years in our Early Education program. She was one of the head teachers in the All-Star classrooms and also taught in the “twos and threes” Panther classroom. In her spare time, Mrs. Walker enjoys playing on softball teams with her NGS colleagues. She is also a bowler and competed in a national tournament in Reno, Nevada.
PRIMARY B: Mrs. Marah Sotelo and Mr. Kyle Snyders
Mrs. Marah Sotelo received her B.S. in Elementary Education, with a minor in Spanish, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also completed coursework in vocal performance while a student at Northern Illinois University. Prior to joining the Next Generation School faculty, Mrs. Sotelo taught a combined second/third grade class for several years at Canaan Academy in Urbana.
Mrs. Sotelo has a passion for the arts; she is a skilled vocalist, actor and dancer. She is a seasoned traveler, having visited Europe, Asia and the Philippines. Mrs. Sotelo also spent a month in Kenya as a volunteer in schools and orphanages. She lived with local families and gained a real appreciation for the culture. She was honored that her experience and skills as a teacher enabled her to assist local educators with lesson and curriculum planning for their students.
As a fourth-generation teacher, education has always played an important part in Mr. Kyle Snyders' life. He was motivated to become a teacher by his late grandfather, an inspirational mentor and master educator. Mr. Snyders began his journey at Eastern Illinois University, where he received his B.S. in Elementary Education with a minor in Theatre Arts. He later returned to his alma mater and was awarded his M.S. in Education, with an emphasis in reading instruction. Mr. Snyders also holds middle-school level endorsements in Language Arts, Social Sciences, and Theatre Arts.
Mr. Snyders has many talents and interests that align themselves with the Primary B curriculum. He has performed as an actor, storyteller, poet, and musician. He also enjoys blacksmithing, leather crafting and horseback riding, and has been a Civil War re-enactor for many years. Additionally, Mr. Snyders is an aficionado of children's literature and loves to converse with his students about all the latest books. He favors the use of simulations, songs, and problem-solving exercises designed to stimulate the creativity and original thinking of his students. Moreover, he leads students in discussions and activities that highlight the connections among our Language Arts, Math, Social Science and Fine Arts curricula.
PRIMARY C: Ms. Donna Davis and Ms. Johanna Mueller
Ms. Donna Davis received her B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While at UIUC, Ms. Davis was the President of the Student Advancement Group for the College of Education and represented the College for the Illinois Leadership Program. She worked with the Dean’s office and alumni to encourage involvement in the College of Education and its community outreach projects. Ms. Davis organized fundraisers for their literacy programs and was responsible for distributing books to students and schools in need throughout Illinois.
Ms. Davis brings her leadership skills to NGS, collaborating with our faculty on the school-wide implementation of our social curriculum, the Nurtured Heart Approach. Her teaching at NGS has been very fulfilling because she has the opportunity to nurture her students as they develop intellectually, socially and emotionally. She appreciates teaching at a school where the legacy of learning will have a powerful, positive impact on the world.
Ms. Johanna Mueller holds her B.S in Elementary Education, with a minor in English, from Wheaton College. Prior to receiving her degree, Ms. Mueller spent several months at an International Baccalaureate school in Lima, Peru, teaching second-grade students from all over the world at the Colegio F. D. Roosevelt (the American School of Lima). While there, she was introduced to innovative approaches to teaching (individualized curriculum, hands-on learning) that led her to seek out NGS after she returned to Illinois.
Ms. Mueller comes from a family of musicians and began playing violin when she was three years old. She has been teaching violin for over ten years and is trained in the Suzuki method.
Ms. Davis and Ms. Mueller will complete advanced training in the Nurtured Heart Approach in the summer of 2009. They look forward to sharing their experience and insights with their colleagues.
PRIMARY D: Mr. Christopher Sotelo and Mrs.Becky Stierwalt
Mr. Christopher Sotelo holds his B.A. in Secondary Education, with a concentration in English, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Mr. Sotelo began teaching at NGS in the Primary E classroom. After his first year at NGS, he spent four weeks in Kenya during the summer of 2007. Mr. Sotelo was one of a cohort of educators who worked with local teachers to assist them with curriculum design. He has been teaching with Ms. Bronowski in the Primary D classroom for two years.
Mrs. Stierwalt received both her M.Ed. and B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an undergraduate, Mrs. Stierwalt majored in Advertising with a minor in English. Her M. Ed. Includes certification in elementary through middle school. She also has endorsements in Language Arts and Social Studies. Her studies in the English department also inspired her to pursue her interests in creative writing.
Mrs. Stierwalt grew up in Sycamore, Illinois. She has wonderful memories of her experience living in Japan and attending an international school when she was in fifth and sixth grade. She hopes to one day revisit this beautiful country.
While completing her graduate degree at the University of Illinois, Mrs. Stierwalt worked as part of a research project aimed at developing software to help at-risk children learn basic mathematics facts. She worked within several area schools with first grade students and credits the experience with further developing her mathematics instructional abilities.
As an undergraduate, Mrs. Stierwalt was active in her sorority's philanthropic work to promote women's heart health awareness and to support cardiac care research.
PRIMARY E: Mr. Paul Han and Mrs. Ann Quackenbush
Mr. Paul Han’s interest in teaching was sparked by his travels to Oaxaca,
Mexico while he was still in high school, when he had his first experience
working with children. Most recently, his travels have taken him to various regions throughout Kenya, including the southern coast of Mombasa and Mount Elgon, located at the border of Uganda. During the summer of 2008, He spent four weeks as a member of a team of teachers helping local educators to implement curricula and design lesson plans for their students. Mr. Han received his B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also has endorsements for middle school
Language Arts, Spanish and Social Sciences. Mr. Han has taught at NGS in
several different capacities. Prior to teaching in the Primary E classroom,
Mr. Han served as the Social Studies Coordinator for Primary C and D, and
was a co-teacher for Language Arts and Mathematics in Primary D. He also
taught preschool-aged children enrolled in the NGS Early Education program.
Mrs. Ann Quackenbush is a founding NGS faculty member. She holds her B. S. in Elementary Education, with endorsements in Language Arts and Social Science, from Illinois State University. Mrs. Quackenbush taught in the Champaign schools for many years and was active in both administrative and leadership capacities, conducting teacher training workshops and serving on several parent-teacher committees. She also worked at the Illinois State Museum as the Coordinator for the Museum in the Classroom project, an ISBE-funded initiative that encouraged the development of educational websites.
In the spring of 2004, Mrs. Quackenbush traveled to China to participate in a month-long professional exchange program specifically for educators. She visited local schools and businesses and attended cultural events in order to better understand modern Chinese culture.
PRIMARY F: Mrs. Kathy Feser and Ms.Jessica Wagenknecht
Mrs. Kathy Feser earned her M.S. in Elementary Education and her teaching certificate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was raised in Atlanta and attended Rice University in Houston, TX, where she received her B. S. in Civil Engineering. Her studies focused on biology, chemistry and water quality, and she later joined a consulting practice focused on air quality and regulations.
Mrs. Feser also taught in an elementary school “hands-on” science laboratory in Chapel Hill, NC. Many of the assignments were design-technology labs that incorporated age-appropriate problem-solving techniques. Mrs. Feser is happy to be at NGS and have the opportunity to once again teach a curriculum that emphasizes problem-solving skills, enabling her to combine her technical background with her love for teaching.
Ms. Jessica Wagenknecht received her B.S. In Education from Eastern Illinois University. She has an endorsement for Social Studies and a concentration in Mathematics. Prior to joining the NGS faculty, she taught Mathematics and Social Studies at Carlinville Middle School in Carlinville, IL.
While teaching at Carlinville, she participated in a mentoring program, working one-on-one with students. She has also been active as a volunteer in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. Ms. Wagenknecht is a native of Illinois and grew up on her family's farm in Milledgeville. She enjoys traveling; one of her most recent trips was to the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. She is also an avid portrait photographer.
Primary School Specialty Faculty
Mrs. Ella Brown Dunn collaborates with the faculty to integrate the Fine Arts and core curriculum. Mrs. Dunn helps students to understand art as a dialogue between artist and viewer. Her students learn that just like "real" artists, the work they create is an interpretive response to what they observe; their artwork is a unique expression of their feelings and perspective.
Prior to teaching at NGS, Mrs. Dunn was an Artist-in-Residence at several elementary and high schools in Champaign. She earned her B.F.A., with a concentration in ceramics and sculpture, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also has an Associate of Fine Arts degree from Parkland College in Champaign. Mrs. Dunn is an accomplished studio artist whose work has been shown in galleries throughout Illinois; many of her pieces are in private collections. She is also active in the local arts community, and was affiliated with Boneyard Pottery in Champaign as both an artist and an artist liaison.
LATIN: MR. Doug Elrick
Mr. Doug Elrick is our Latin Coordinator. Mr. Elrick teaches our Primary D, E and F students, challenging them with Latin and word study. He also leads the extra-curricular Math Club. Mr. Elrick is a National Board Certified teacher, with over forty years' experience in elementary public school teaching. Most recently, he taught for eighteen years in a fifth-grade gifted and talented classroom at Dr. Howard Elementary School in Champaign. Mr. Elrick earned his M.A. in Teaching from Oakland University, just outside of Detroit, MI. He completed his graduate work while he was a teaching intern in the National Teacher Corps, one of the "Great Society" projects of the Johnson Era. Mr. Elrick has also completed additional graduate work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds his B.S. in Agronomy from UIUC.
PERFORMING ARTS:Ms. Leila Ramagopal, Mr. Chad Dunn and Ms. Roselle Bhosale
Ms. Leila Ramagopal is a NGS founding faculty member and has established our music curriculum. She is passionate about the role the performing arts serve in the nurturing, mental and physical development, and empowerment of all children. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin, a M.S. degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and certification in the Suzuki method of music instruction from the American Suzuki Institute in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She also received an Associate of Arts degree in Theatre from Parkland College in Champaign and has trained extensively in the Irish Dance traditions of Mullane and Trinity Academies.
Her belief that a real and thorough education in the arts taps into every part of a child’s being to bring about critical thinking, the confidence to create and express, knowledge of self-worth, and discoveries of his or her humanity, is a guiding principle in her collaborative work.
Mr. Chad Dunn is a multi-percussionist, educator and instrument maker. He received his certificate of training at Oficina de Investigato Musical in Salvador, Bahia Brazil. Mr. Dunn enjoys sharing his musical interests and expertise with students, educators and other performing artists. He regularly leads lectures and workshops on Brazilian percussion for public and private schools and was named an Illinois Arts Council Tour artist in 2001.
Mr. Dunn's commitment to environmental activism led him to form Recycled Rhythms, a Brazilian-influenced musical group that promotes resource conservation, educates about Brazilian instruments and music making, and empowers children and adults to pursue their artistic dreams. Recycled Rhythms provides ongoing community outreach opportunities for students at Next Generation School.
Ms. Roselle Bhosale earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Western Illinois University. She was awarded an assistantship to enter the master’s program in Music Composition, which she also completed at Western Illinois. She returned to her native Malaysia after graduation to begin a career in commercial music. Ms. Bhosale was the pianist for the National Choir of Malaysia and wrote music for Malaysia’s National Junior Chorus.
When Ms. Bhosale returned to the US, she first took a position at the Yale University School of Music in New Haven, Connecticut, and then worked as Assistant Director of Scholarships and Student Employment at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. She also taught music and the Suzuki piano method at Merryhill Elementary School.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION: Mrs. Becky Kammin, Ms. Rebecca Green and Mr. Luke Bronowski
Mrs. Becky Kammin is our Physical Education Director and Athletic Director. As a founding member of the NGS faculty, Mrs. Kammin has created and developed a comprehensive, innovative program that emphasizes life-long health and fitness.
Mrs. Kammin holds a B. S. in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was a James Scholar and published an article in the Illinois Journal of Physical Education. †In addition to her certification to teach K – 12 Physical Education, Mrs. Kammin also has certification to teach Mathematics, general and Social Sciences at the middle school level. †She also coaches NGS track and field. †She has earned her second-degree black belt in tae kwon do and also enjoys golfing, gardening and playing piano.
Ms. Rebecca Green completed her M.S. in Kinesiology Pedagogy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her graduate work focused on gender issues and the social-emotional development of students in K - 8 Physical Education programs.
She received her B.A. in English from Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia and her certification for teaching Physical Education and coaching from Eastern Illinois University. Ms. Green teaches our Primary School students and assists with their intramural sports program. She also coaches the girls' basketball team.
Mr. Luke Bronowski has been a member of the NGS faculty since our school was founded. Mr. Bronowski works closely with Mrs. Kammin and Ms. Green, and coaches the Middle School boys' basketball team, as well as intramural basketball and soccer.
Prior to that, he taught in the All-Star classrooms in our Early Education program. Many of our students have had Mr. Bronowski as one of their teachers since they were preschool-age. He has also served as the coordinator for our after-school programs. Mr. Bronowski studied Graphic Design at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His dedication to NGS brings us together as a community; he is our official photographer, capturing student and family events, athletic matches and performing arts events. He also produces the NGS student yearbook.
SCIENCE: MRS. CARRIE KOUADIO
Mrs. Carrie Kouadio's investigative approach to learning provides her students with exciting, important insights into how scientists work and think. Classroom teachers, students and parents have praised her ability of making science come alive for everyone in her classes.
Mrs. Kouadio holds her Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her teaching endorsements include Anthropology, Biology and Chemistry, in addition to General, Physical and Social Science. She has over nine years of combined teaching experience with students in grades K-12. She
was a teaching assistant in the Chemistry Department at UIUC while completing
her graduate studies. Mrs. Kouadio also works with Nano-CEMMS, a center for nanoscale science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her educational work with Nano-CEMMS includes teaching hands-on lessons, presenting to diverse audiences, and developing and managing educational kits.
SPANISH: SEÑORITA ERIN FLYNN
Señorita Erin Flynn's Hispanic heritage and her extensive study abroad experiences guided her decision to share her passion for language and culture with our students. She earned her B.A. in Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has participated in language and cultural immersion programs in Granada, Spain (at Granada CEGRê, affiliated with the University of Illinois) and Heredia, Costa Rica. In the summer of 2008, Señorita Flynn traveled to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, a region of the country that retains much of its Mayan culture. During her stay, she taught at La Pedrera, an after-school program for indigenous youth.
When not teaching or piloting her extensive library-on-wheels of Spanish children's books (300+ and growing!) from class to class, Señorita Flynn coaches competitive gymnastics and works with the Champaign-Urbana chapter of Altrusa, an international women's volunteer organization promoting literacy.
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