Susan Bernstein - Teacher

Hello! My name is Susan Bernstein. I am a Chicago gal who grew up in Highland Park and have lived in Chicago since I started at DePaul University. I come from a long line of teachers. My grandmother taught in a one room school in upstate New York where her grandfather had also taught, my mother worked at early childhood centers in Highland Park, my father has gone back to school after his retirement and I have aunts and uncles on both sides who are professors. Since 8th grade I have worked in early childhood centers. Many teachers have been unique and influential in my schooling, and it became my dream to give back by becoming the same for others. I want to foster the uniqueness and creativity of all children.

Each of my teaching experiences have been valuable in helping me grow as a educator. My pre-university experiences at a preschool in Highland Park paved the way for my love of young children. After college I worked in a school with children from diverse backgrounds. These families and children were straddling two cultures, and it was a wonderful experience to be able to help bridge the divide. Following this experience, I became a preschool teacher in a school which integrated typically developing children with atypically developing children in a 50/50 split classroom. It was a truly innovative program where I learned a great deal about using different teaching styles and techniques to meet the different needs of each child. My last teaching position was at an arts academy where the school’s curriculum was enhanced by fostering children’s innate creativity and through the arts. Here I was involved in redesigning a preschool program, including creating a parent volunteer program, a child learner portfolio for each student, a Flickr account as means to share with parents their child’s day to day learning experiences, collaborating with Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education to design a yearlong inquiry with my students into what it meant to be a preschooler in the school community.

Children are able to understand the world around them and learn new concepts through hands-on experiences. I look forward to bringing my love of art into the classroom and giving my students opportunities to be creative. Nature, looking outside the box, and how young children see the world inspire me. I love working with film, paint, clay, and recycled materials.

I am eager to meet and get to know you and your child.