Allison Cox
Allison Cox completed her 13th year of teaching. She spent the last 6 years teaching English and Strategic Literacy at Rantoul Township High School. She recently completed her MS as a Reading Specialist. She enjoys reading and has set a personal mission to find books that her students like to read.
Maureen Brothman
I graduated from Illinois State University in 2013 with a BS in Bilingual-Bicultural Elementary Education. I taught bilingual 4th grade for one year in Rantoul before moving to Champaign to teach ESL at Booker T. Washington STEM Academy. I love helping students find their voices as writers and as individuals.
Chuck Koplinski
Chuck Koplinski has been teaching 8th grade language arts for 24 years at Urbana Middle school and is a film critic for the News-Gazette and Illinois Times newspapers as well as WCIA-TV. When he’s not anguishing over the play of the Chicago White Sox, he can be found at the movies or at home with his wife Beth, two stepsons Alex and Nathan, his son Grant and their beagle Gracie.
Brian Schmitt
Brian holds a Bachelor's Degree in English from Illinois State University, and currently teaches Language Arts at Urbana High School. He is also pursuing his Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Language and Literacy at the University of Illinois. He is in his fourth year at UHS. Brian has a passion for writing, literature, and music, and finds joy in fostering the same passion in his students. His other professional interests include epistemology, cognitive science, and linguistics.
Tiffanie Bui
I was born in Da Lat, Viet Nam and raised in the Midwest. I am a teacher-librarian, cat mom, foodie, traveler, and sometimes writer.
Mikel Matthews
Mikel Matthews teachers Theatre and English at Rantoul Township High School. He is also a local director, actor, stand up, improviser, and MC.
Jenna Grites
Jenna Grites, a native of Danville, Illinois, is about to begin her third year of teaching English and her first year in the high school setting at Westville High School. She graduated from Illinois State University with her BA in December 2012 after having been named a Robert G. Bone Scholar, and has recently re-enrolled at ISU to work towards her master's in English studies with a dual focus on literature and composition. Outside of writing, Jenna's personal interests include baking, collecting books, and running; in April 2015, she completed her first half-marathon. Jenna also identifies as a crock-pot extraordinaire, a semi-competent seamstress, and dog-mommy to her 9 year old beagle, Kate.
bridget Sheen
Bridget is a native of the Peoria, IL, area but has been largely based in Champaign since her undergrad career began. She graduated from the College of Education in 2010, and has spent the following years teaching varying ages spanning both elementary and junior high school. While teaching, she returned to the University of Illinois to earn a degree in Educational Policy, Organization, and Leadership (basically educational administration) in 2013 and in 2014 added the Library Science program in order to also gain her Library Information Science endorsement. She graduated with her additional endorsement and master’s degree in 2015.
She has previously taken part in a smaller National Writing Project summer seminar in 2011, and is excited to participate in a second, different program through a branch of the same group. Outside of her education, enjoys spending time with friends and family, seeing movies, reading and writing, game nights, and wrangling her mini zoo of animals. She hopes to get a good handle on the novel she has been wanting to write for ages this summer.
She has previously taken part in a smaller National Writing Project summer seminar in 2011, and is excited to participate in a second, different program through a branch of the same group. Outside of her education, enjoys spending time with friends and family, seeing movies, reading and writing, game nights, and wrangling her mini zoo of animals. She hopes to get a good handle on the novel she has been wanting to write for ages this summer.
Shalonda Carr
I am an ESL teacher at King Elementary in Urbana. My passion is science, but I am always trying to find ways to improve my writing delivery. I would like to thank my family for supporting while I attend workshops in the summer.
Mindy Dyson
Hi! My name is Mindy Dyson and I am a 5th grade teacher in Champaign. This will be my eleventh year teaching within this district in an elementary setting. I completed my undergraduate degree in elementary education through Knox College in Galesburg. I later continued on with my graduate degree through U of I in special education.
I grew up in Champaign and even went to the local schools: Robeson, Jefferson, and Centennial. I have a younger sister who lives in West Virginia and an older brother who likes in town. I have a 9 month old son named Kaleb who is my life. I also have two German Shepherds named Drake & Blue and a bearded dragon named Kaydan. Kaydan is a school pet so he becomes more than just mine.
I grew up in Champaign and even went to the local schools: Robeson, Jefferson, and Centennial. I have a younger sister who lives in West Virginia and an older brother who likes in town. I have a 9 month old son named Kaleb who is my life. I also have two German Shepherds named Drake & Blue and a bearded dragon named Kaydan. Kaydan is a school pet so he becomes more than just mine.
Lucia Black
Personally, I have not been a habitual writer, but this summer that changes! I have lots of stories to tell and so do my students. I'm a new public school ESL teacher; this was my second year. I teach students 10-15 years old who are new to English and have had some interrupted formal education. I am always looking for new ways to introduce and include my no-lit/lo-lit students in an education system based on the written word.
Autumn West
Autumn West is a PhD student in Language and Literacy Education at the University of Illinois with a concentration in Writing Studies. Her research interests include intersections of cognitive and sociocultural contexts in writing processes, dialogic teaching/learning for literacy education, cultural modeling of curriculum for literacy education, and the design of learning environments and technology for literacy education. Autumn is a Chicago native and taught writing workshops for college-bound urban high school students in the city prior to beginning the PhD program.
Tomas milo
Hi, I'm a second grade teacher at Robeson Elementary School. This past school year was my first year of teaching, and it was everything I could have hoped for. Being a storyteller and guiding my students through the process of telling their own stories is one of my favorite parts of teaching. I have fun being helped by my classroom "pets" Snooze the sloth and Humphrey the camel.
Leadership Team
Scott Filkins is an English teacher at Champaign Central High School, doctoral student in Curriculum & Instruction at UIUC, and co-director of the University of Illinois Writing Project. He serves on the NCTE Assessment Task Force and writes about and facilitates professional learning on principled literacy assessment.
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Ryan Kerr teaches English at Rantoul Township High School. He has previously taught in Austin, Texas and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Illinois. He was a Summer Institute fellow in 2013 and is thrilled to be part of the leadership team for this summer's institute!
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