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Ms. Bourisaw is an award winning, accomplished educator with over 30 years experience as an elementary classroom teacher, curriculum designer and developer, and instructional coach. She held positions with Edwardsville School District 7 and Wilmette Public School District 39, where she taught a range of elementary grades.

 

Winner of the Illinois State Board of Education, Those Who Excel award, Ms. Bourisaw also received the Extra Effort Award for participation in District 7 activities beyond the classroom and the Good Apple Award for excellence in teaching. Ms. Bourisaw received ICE training for mentoring teachers and served on the Wilmette District mentoring committee helping to prepare teachers for educational excellence. Additionally, she is a National Board Certification Mentor who has successfully mentored dozens of teachers to National Board Certification.

 

Ms. Bourisaw was recruited by the University of Chicago STEM Education to be a curriculum writer for 2nd and 3rd grade Everyday Mathematics, 4th Edition as well as for individual State editions. Her deep grasp of the instructional shifts for effective teaching in mathematics and her solid interpersonal and communication skills led her to be an effective provider of professional development and instructional coaching to teachers in struggling schools as a member of UC STEM Education’s School Support Team.

 

Ms. Bourisaw received her Masters of Science in education from Southern Illinois University. Her passion for supporting teachers is summed up in her favorite quote by Robert John Meehan: “The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without collaboration our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”

 

Some of Ms. Bourisaw’s favorite activities outside of school are golfing, biking, hiking, working in her yard, and spending time with her family.