Ami Hanoaka
2nd Grade, Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy
Resident: Rebecca Lee
Hometown: Englewood, CO
# of Years Teaching: 8
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 3
Why I Teach at Aspire: I like that I am able to meet my students' needs in all subjects at a level that is most beneficial to their learning. Using the standards as a guide to develop curriculum tailored to my students has helped me grow as a professional as well as meet my students' needs. And, of course, the people at Aspire are amazing! The consistent hard work and dedication to the students that you see with everyone on staff is unbeatable.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: It's wonderful to have another set of capable hands in the room who knows the students just as well as you do and is able to help them in the ways that they need help. Every student is getting so much more attention in areas of growth as a result.
Amy Youngman
6th Grade, Self-Contained, Aspire ERES Academy
Middle School Lead Teacher
Resident: Helen Chen
Hometown: San Jose, CA
# of Years Teaching: 5
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 3
Why I Teach at Aspire: I most like Aspire's drive towards excellence. Although I have only been with Aspire for 2 (going on 3) years, I have seen Aspire expand, improve, and critically analyze feedback in an effort to become better. I am drawn to stay in the organization because of the amazing teachers, classified staff, principal and school community that I am blessed to work with. Aspire provides the framework, the tools, and the technology through which I can improve my craft and help students make big gains each year.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I appreciate the opportunity to have a fully-invested, hard-working adult in my classroom who has a heart for my students and a passion for the teaching profession. It has been wonderful to be able to map out a long term plan of improvement and gradual release that promises to ensure success for both my resident and my students.
Ben Feinberg
5th Grade Humanities, Aspire Junior Collegiate Academy
Lead Teacher, Data Driver
Resident: Christine Whan
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
# of Years Teaching: 4
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 3
Why I Teach at Aspire: I love the data driven approach to teaching, in which we target educational gaps and fill them, working in the most efficient way possible.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I love that the residents are given the opportunity to "own" a classroom, not switching from class to class like many traditional teacher training programs. Our residents are the teachers - they are equally part of the class and they feel that the students are their students.
Claire Hawley
1st Grade, Aspire ERES Academy
Resident: Jessica Lobl
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
# of Years Teaching: 7
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 6
Why I Teach at Aspire: I love the students and the families we serve. I have a deep commitment to free public education.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I appreciate the way in which ATR has caused me to reflect upon my practice.
Dawn Drake
3rd Grade, Aspire Vincent Shalvey Academy
2nd/3rd Grade Lead Teacher, Model Classroom
Resident: Charla Kuykendall
Hometown: Stockton, CA
# of Years Teaching: 30
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 11
Why I Teach at Aspire: I came because I valued the collaboration of strong, dedicated teachers working together to get children ready for college. I stay because the teachers at Shalvey Academy are amazing and they are my second family.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: First of all you get more "bang for your buck". There are two teachers in the classroom so a lot more teaching gets done. Secondly, I enjoy explaining my thinking and coaching to another teacher. I learn from this experience as much as the resident does. And lastly, I am excited to impart my knowledge and enthusiasn for the job onto a new generation of teachers.
Diana Puccio
1st Grade, Aspire Vincent Shalvey Academy
K/1st Grade Lead Teacher
Resident: Kaycee Huertas-Makalintal
Hometown: Newport Beach, CA
# of Years Teaching: 27
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 13
Why I Teach at Aspire: I was originally drawn to Aspire because I saw that the teachers involved shared the same vision and work ethic that was focused on student achievement. I wanted to work with teachers that were excited to work and share best practices and strategies. These principles are the same reason I stay with Aspire today. Furthermore, the teachers at Vincent Shalvey are not only colleagues, but dear friends. We are a family!
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I began my teaching career as an intern in Newport Mesa with an amazing mentor. The start she gave me has been long lasting and I wanted to do the same for new teachers coming into the profession. Working with my resident, Kaycee, has given me the opportunity to share my knowledge and passion for children and their learning. I love sharing with her the joys of teaching. Watching Kaycee grow, her enthusiasm and dedication right from the start is amazing.
Gary Rohwer
English I and II, Drama, Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy
Resident: Jacob Weiler
Hometown: Tustin, CA
# of Years Teaching: 23
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 11
Why I Teach at Aspire: The freedoms of creativity I have in the classroom. Additionally, I am surrounded by incredible people. I love the people I work with. Always have, for the 10+ years I've been with Aspire.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: Getting to know my resident, Jake. He's terrific, and already an invaluable part of our classroom. It's going to be a good year.
Jenna Ogier
5th Grade, Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy
PALS Coordinator
Resident: Caitlin Schoenfelder
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
# of Years Teaching: 5
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 3
Why I Teach at Aspire: I work for Aspire because I enjoy being surrounded by people who are driven, hold high expectations, and will work hard to overcome any challenge. At BMA, my colleagues and scholars inspire me everyday, and therefore my practice just keeps on getting better and better.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: The residency program is awesome! As a TFA corps member, I didn't get the level of support I desired my first year of teaching. I am so proud to now be part of a program that sets up new teachers for success.
Jessica Imrie
5th Grade, Aspire Alexander Twilight College Preparatory Academy
4/5th Grade Lead Teacher
Resident: A.J. Treas
Hometown: Orangevale, CA
# of Years Teaching: 5
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 5
Why I Teach at Aspire: I love Aspire because I know that we are helping make change in education. Also, I'm constantly getting challenged and supported throughout my challenge. There is so much cross-collaboration across grade levels and the organization that I know where to turn when I need help.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I appreciate the opportunity to help shape someone else's decision to come into the most important profession, teaching. I also appreciate the opportunity to reflect on my own craft and have two teachers in the classroom to help students.
Karen Ringewald
6/7th Grade Reading Intevention, Aspire Centennial College Preparatory Academy
Intervention Specialist, 7th Grade Humanities Lead Teacher
Resident: Sergio Ovalles
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
# of Years Teaching: 6
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 3
Why I Teach at Aspire: I love Aspire because of its dedication to ensuring that all of our students graduate from college. I love the urgency that our organization places on education and the high expectations that are held for our educators and our students. These factors keep me energized and push me to continually reflext and improve.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I appreciate how thorough and thoughtful the program is; the coursework mirrors classroom needs, and having residents in classrooms four days a week for a full year will help them enter their first year of teaching really well prepared. I also love working with my resident because he is someone to bounce ideas off of, he helps me integrate new ideas into my classroom based on his coursework and his previous experiences, and he provides extra assistance to me and my students!
Karin Barratt
11/12th Grade English, Aspire California College Preparatory Academy
Humanities Lead Teacher
Resident: Rachel Neiderman
Hometown: East Bay
# of Years Teaching: 8
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 3
Why I Teach at Aspire: Our unrelenting focus on serving underserved students.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: The chance to work with a gifted fledgling teacher.
Kelly Lofgren 1st Grade, Aspire Antonio Maria Lugo Academy
K/1st Grade Lead Teacher
Resident: Katrina Pirnack
Hometown: Satellite Beach, FL
# of Years Teaching: 7
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 6
Why I Teach at Aspire: I love how Aspire teachers devote themselves to making a better life for the children they serve.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I think the program is ingenious in that it allows both the resident and mentor teacher to develop professionally, while giving our students more opportunities for individualized instruction and feedback from their two teachers!
Kenny France
3rd Grade, Aspire Summit Charter Academy
Athletic Director, Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy
Resident: Amanda Haynam
Hometown: Modesto, CA
# of Years Teaching: 12
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 11
Why I Teach at Aspire: Aspire gives me the freedom to use what works for my students and disregard what doesn't work for them.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I appreciate my co-teacher's passion and dedication to the students in my class and school.
Maria Vizcaino
Kindergarten, Aspire Junior Collegiate Academy
Kindergarten Lead Teacher
Resident: Allie Smith
Hometown: East Los Angeles, CA
# of Years Teaching: 5
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 5
Why I Teach at Aspire: I love that everyone is committed to children's education. We all have the same goals and always work hard. Our schools are smaller and it allows us to know our families on a deeper level.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I love that residents get to be in the classroom for a whole year. I feel that I didn't learn how to be a teacher until I was in a classroom of my own. They get to incorporate what they learn at seminar and use in the classroom.
Nicole Capriccio
4th Grade, Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy
4/5th Grade Lead Teacher
Resident: Nicholas White
Hometown: Madison, WI
# of Years Teaching: 7
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 4
Why I Teach at Aspire: The people! I'm thankful every day for all the amazing adults and kids I get to work with.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of something revolutionary!
Sarah Salazar
Algebra I and II, Aspire California College Preparatory Academy
Mathematics Lead Teacher
Resident: Yael Villar
Hometown: Simi Valley, CA
# of Years Teaching: 6
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 6
Why I Teach at Aspire: I began my teaching career with Aspire and I have stayed here because of the high level of support provided for all teachers. My coach is easy to access and has done a great job of pushing me to further develop my practice.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: There are many reasons that I appreciate ATR, but there are two that stand out. First, I really like having someone to discuss pedagogy with every day. Sometimes we focus on content and how to teach really complex ideas to our students. Other times we work together to problem solve issues that arise in everyday classroom life. Regardless, we always are able to collaborate and improve the Algebra experience for our students.
The second reason I appreciate ATR is because I have always enjoyed mentoring young teachers. I have worked with other mentoring programs in the past, but ATR is different because our residents are on a pathway to become teachers by the end of the year. There is more urgency with ATR.
Tatiana Lim-Breitbart
9th, 11th, 12th Grade Science, Aspire California College Preparatory Academy
Lead Science Teacher
Resident: Katie Kelly-Hankin
Hometown: Redlands, CA
# of Years Teaching: 11
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 3
Why I Teach at Aspire: I love the impact that Aspire has on kids that really need it. I feel the collective effort by all the teachers at my school and across the organization. Seeing the result of 100% of students accepted to a 4-year college affirms the hard work and long hours we put in. I stay because I feel needed by our students.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: Above all, I love my resident. I love how enthusiastic she is, how willing to work hard she is, and, most of all, how much she already takes ownership and love for our kids.
Why I love the residency for the resident: I feel like her pedagogical learning is well-supported by her coursework and seminar. It's also really good for her to get off-campus one day each week. It helps her take a step back and zoom back out to focus on the reasons she does what she does inside the classroom. It's so easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, take time to reflect, and get caught-up in the day-to-day grind. That one day a week seems to really refresh her spirit and reinvigorate her enthusiasm. I always see her come to work the day after seminar with fresh ideas to play with in the week ahead.
Why I love the residency for the mentor: I feel well-supported. I feel like I have a bigger picture of what is expected and where we are going with our end goals, which helps me re-evaluate where we are in terms of my resident's progress toward the larger goals. I enjoy having a second adult in the classroom and I love that I get challenged to provide rationale for all my pedagogical decisions. It makes me really think through the question, "How does this help our students become college-ready?" The residency program also helps me feel more affiliation toward Aspire. I feel ownership for the teachers we are producing with the hopes that they will stay and are hired within our organization.
Tawna Turner
Kindergarten, Aspire Alexander Twilight College Preparator Academy
K/1st Grade Lead Teacher
Resident: Valerie Sedillo
Hometown: Paradise, CA
# of Years Teaching: 7
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 7
Why I Teach at Aspire: I love the collaboration at Aspire; I've worked at two different Aspire schools and have been blessed with amazing teams of great teachers that are super supportive AND super fun! I like the freedom I have in the classroom as well as being a part of an organization that stays so true to its mission.
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: I feel like my students really benefit from having two teachers in the room. Together with my resident, we can finally provide the individual interventions that some students desperately need. It's also been great to learn from each new resident. I feel like each resident brings a skill set I may not have and together we improve our teaching practice.
Tommy McGrail
4th Grade, Aspire Huntington Park Charter School
4/5th Grade Lead Teacher
Resident: Loreen Lee
Hometown: South Pasadena, CA
# of Years Teaching: 5
# of Years Teaching at Aspire: 5
Why I Teach at Aspire: I love the individual attention that each student receives as a result of the Instructional Guidelines. I also like Aspire's progressive approach to education and their willingness to try new/innovative things (like this program).
What I Appreciate Most About ATR: The huge part that reflection takes in this process. The program is constantly improving!
