Name

Billy Heisler

Background

Billy believes in children; his endeavors, aspirations and dreams—professional and personal—are unwaveringly guided by his fervent celebration of each individual’ s limitless potential and unique contributions. To be the most effective educator, Billy constantly learns; he learns from and improves because of each student for whom he works, each staff member with whom he collaborates and each community partner whose advocacy nurtures student success. Furthermore, to successfully educate, Billy gives. He not only believes in the content of his service, but also inextricably perpetuates hope in its effects. A core means by which he gives is his constant striving to form and bolster communities that promote belonging, meaningful success and inspiration. Foundationally, to educate well is to believe; Billy believes in the incomprehensible gifts of youth and in a lifetime spent advocating for them.

Billy serves as a One-To-One Teaching Assistant at Edgewood Middle School, which is a part of the North Shore School District 112 in Highland Park, Illinois. Billy earned his Preclinical Hours toward his Master of Arts in Teaching degree in a formative and deeply inspiring experience in a Dual Language Kindergarten class at Red Oak School, which is also in District 112. Billy will begin an extraordinary Student Teaching journey in mid-February, 2011 in a Fourth Grade class at Sherwood School, which is also in District 112.

Billy’s career in education is rooted primarily in his experience at overnight summer camp. Many of Billy’s guiding educational values, such as fostering genuine belonging in each student, creating and furthering a positively synergistic community and unconditional, holistic student support, emerged, developed and their execution have been refined through his vast and continuing experience and leadership at camp.

In addition to Billy’s rigorous and extensive academic studies at the University of Michigan, Billy served as a Resident Advisor for five semesters. As a Resident Advisor, Billy helped to establish, furthered and led communities of learners and friends. Billy promoted the safety of the residents for whom he was responsible, mentored and trained many fellow Resident Advisors to be more effective and directed many educational and social community-building programs. Furthermore, Billy envisioned, spearheaded and directed Dodge That! For Habitat, an annual, campus-wide dodgeball tournament that benefited charity. Moreover, each of his four years at the University of Michigan, Billy was a part of, helped to lead and enhanced the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program, a selective living-learning community that emphasized writing, the arts and creative expression.

After a few short months as a substitute teacher following graduation from the University of Michigan, Billy was hired as a One-To-One Teaching Assistant at Red Oak School. Billy began his employment as a One-To-One Teaching Assistant on December 1, 2008; he currently works with the same student as a One-To-One Teaching Assistant, though he and the student now attend Edgewood Middle School. As a One-To-One Teaching Assistant, Billy continually and holistically promotes the success of a student through differentiation, modification, adaptation and advocacy in a wide variety of settings. Furthermore, Billy works to support, educate and enrich countless other Edgewood students.

Billy has amassed exemplary leadership of, experience because of and contributions to the North Shore School District 112. For example, Billy envisioned, spearheaded and directs the Red Oak Role Models Mentorship Program, which is a partnership between the Highland Park High School Key Club and Red Oak School. In the Red Oak Role Models Mentorship Program, Red Oak School students—each one referred in a structured process by Red Oak School educators—are paired with a Highland Park High School Mentor. The partners meet weekly and work together on academics in the structured homework environment, socialize while playing a wide variety of age-appropriate games and all the while, build a strong, meaningful and bettering rapport. The Mentors were professionally trained by a well-renown, highly esteemed national educational and youth leadership speaker. The Red Oak Role Models was made possible by an Opportunity Grant awarded by the 112 Education Foundation and is further supported—financially and otherwise—by the Red Oak School Parent-Teacher Association, the Highland Park High School Key Club, additional grants awarded to District 112, and countless District 112 and Township High School District 113 educators.

Furthermore, Billy has taken on extensive North Shore School District 112-wide leadership. For example, Billy was selected to serve on the District 112 Community Strategic Planning Team. In addition, Billy served on and helped to guide the District 112 Community Strategic Plan Strategy 7 Action Team, which shaped, structured and planned for more effective, impactful and consistent character education across District 112. Furthermore, Billy serves on the District 112 Community Strategic Plan Strategy 7 Implementation Team, which executes the preceding plan for enhanced and consistent District 112-wide character education. Moreover, Billy helped to envision and construct, and serves on, the District 112 Paraprofessional Planning Team. The Paraprofessional Planning Team advocates for the students of District 112 through increased District 112 and school support of Paraprofessionals, more effective professional development for Paraprofessionals and increased collaboration among Paraprofessionals.

In addition to his North Shore School District 112-wide leadership, Billy has led and contributes greatly on the school level. Billy serves on the Edgewood Middle School Code of Conduct Committee—a team that works to best promote positive student choices and most effectively support students who make negative choices—and the Edgewood Middle School Transition Committee—a new team this school year that works to welcome and holistically support the students and families who enter or depart from Edgewood Middle School. In addition, Billy helped to further and educate Red Oak School students and parents about Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. Moreover, Billy created and taught several after school programs, including those centered around yoga, cartooning, games and sports and basketball. Also, Billy helped to teach an after school program that fostered student success on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test. Billy has taken on and will continue to take on initiatives that bolster the students, the staff and the school community.

Billy applies his belief in children, his work to create productive communities and his extensive educational experience as a Sixth Grade Judaica teacher at his synagogue’s Religious School. Moreover and very apropos to Billy’s extensive professional work in formal education and camping—and one way by which Billy promotes and extends the values of each—is his work as a youth basketball coach; this school year is Billy’s third season coaching. In each team to which he contributes, Billy works in partnership with the children’s parents to create a synergistic community that fosters belonging, growth, meaning and inspiration.

Education

  • Deerfield High School—Deerfield, IL
  • Graduated Spring 2004
  • Deerfield Scholars (Top 10 in Class of 400 upon Graduation)
  • University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, MI
  • Graduated Spring 2008
  • Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology
  • Coursework in fields such as English, Writing, Economics, Business, Biology, Zoology, Public Policy, Mathematics, and Creative Arts
  • GPA: 3.5/4.0
  • Lloyd Hall Scholars Program (Entirety of Undergraduate Education)
  • Co-Resident Advisor of the Year (Alice Lloyd Hall, 2006-2007)
  • University Honors (2004-2005)
  • National-Louis University—Chicago, IL
  • Master of Arts in Teaching
  • Type 03 Teacher Certification
  • Anticipated Date of Completion: Spring 2011
  • Master of Arts in Teaching degree
  • Anticipated Date of Completion: Spring 2012