My name isJoe Robinson and I am very happy to be a part of the Creative Scholars team. Originally from Rockford, IL, I began studying music at Northern Illinois University before completing a B.A. in Psychology. I then studied Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for two years. My professional experiences have been with a variety of children and in a variety of settings. I have been a student educational/psychological clinician, an after-school teacher, a summer camp supervisor, and an assistant at a juvenile detention center, but my recent years as a preschool teacher have been my fondest. I will be teaching music as well as running our foreign language program.  I consider it a treat to be able to share music, my favorite hobby, with our students.
E-mail: jrobinson@creativescholarspreschool.com

My name isJoy Sederberg and I am so pleased to be a part of the Creative Scholars family. After studying philosophy at DePaul University, I spent seven years working as a nanny. Our days were filled with art projects, baking projects, and adventures around our wonderful city. When my charges outgrew me, I became a pastry chef creating cakes and petits fours. While I didn't enjoy my grueling schedule, it was my desire to work with children again that pulled me away. I went on to work in a home daycare and knew I’d found my calling. As the drama teacher at Creative Scholars I hope to introduce your child to stories, books, and authors in a new light while inspiring them to tell their own stories and to act them out through dramatic movement, rhythm, and play.  I am comfortably conversational in Spanish after spending a summer in Oaxaca, Mexico as an exchange student so I’ll reinforce our Spanish language skills. I have a profound love for the arts and am always looking to expand my creativity. As the art teacher I will teach your children about the masters of the visual arts.  Maybe we’ll kindle their creativity to unveil a young Picasso, Marc Chagall, or Georgia O’Keeffe.  I am currently a student at Truman College studying child development to help me better understand children and how best to spark their creativity and learn just how high their minds can soar.
E-mail: jsederberg@creativescholarspreschool.com

Hello, my name isCatherine Shumaker, and I will be teaching in one of the morning preschool classrooms. I am very excited to be a part of the wonderful team at Creative Scholars. I attended Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. Following college, I taught 5th grade for two years and during the summer I was a lifeguard and also taught swimming lessons to children between the ages of 3 and 12 years. My husband and I moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he went to graduate school and received his doctorate in Cell and Molecular Biology. While in Baltimore, I started as a lead teacher in a preschool and finished as the Assistant Director. As a preschool teacher, I taught every age level but worked predominately with the older children. In addition, before I left I organized and taught a kindergarten program. As the assistant director, I helped the school become accredited with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). When my husband finished school, we moved to Chicago where he worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University. We have lived in Chicago for seven years and have four children, three of whom attend public schools. In each of my older children’s classes, I have taught small reading groups, helped with classroom projects and book fairs, and chaperoned fieldtrips. In addition, I have also substituted for an elementary school reading and mathematics program held at UIC. I am looking forward to being back in the classroom and working with preschoolers again.
E-mail: cshumaker@creativescholarspreschool.com

My name isLisa Smith, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Creative Scholars team! I look forward to working with such great families as the Assistant Director, as well as your child’s teacher in one of our full day classrooms! Originally from Sterling Heights, Michigan, I received my Bachelors degree in both Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education from Michigan State University. (Go Green, Go White!!) After graduation I completed a full-year of student teaching in a first grade classroom, while I also earned many credits towards a Masters of Curriculum and Teaching. My most recent professional experience has been teaching full-day kindergarten for the past 3 years here in Chicago and in the Washington, DC area. I am so happy to have the opportunity to get back to working with preschool-age children once again, and look forward to meeting all of you!
E-mail: lsmith@creativescholarspreschool.com

Hello!  My name isHeather Sullenger and I am a new full-time teacher here at Creative Scholars. I have a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education (including preschool) and Psychology.  I also have a master’s degree in Special Education.  My first professional teaching job was in Fayetteville, N.C.  I was a special needs pre-kindergarten teacher.  While living in Fayetteville, I met my husband, Lee.  It has been a whirlwind of an adventure ever since.  After getting married, we moved to Brooklyn, N.Y.  I was a special needs preschool teacher there as well.  Then we moved to South America (Venezuela) for my husband’s job with the Army.  I was lucky to have the opportunity to work at an international school in a 3 year old classroom.  Now we are living in Chicago and I am excited to start my new journey at Creative Scholars.
E-mail: hsullenger@creativescholarspreschool.com