Mark Brady - 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher - 2002 - Minnesota - mdbrady@cps.edu

PH.D. University of Southern California

Before Peterson I taught at the College level.

"Students and staff are my favorite things about Peterson"

Outside of Peterson, I love travel and reading.

Jamie Mistry - 6th Grade Math Teacher - 2012 - Chicago, IL - jhmistry@cps.edu

Senn High School
National Louis University

I always wanted to be a teacher.

"All the different places my students come from."

I love to try different food around the city with family and friends.

Rhianion Broschat - 6th Grade Diverse Learner Specialist Teacher - 2023 - rkbroschat@cps.edu

Christopher Christensen - 6th Grade English Language Teacher - Chicago, IL - cachristense1@cps.edu

I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago and attended the University of Illinois at Chicago.  My wife, Kimberly and I have been happily married for ten years, have a two-year-old son named Gunnar, and live in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on Chicago’s north side.

I chose teaching as a profession because I enjoy working with adolescents and young adults. Teaching allows me to make a valuable contribution to the community and positively impact the lives of my students.  In addition, I enjoy being a mentor to my middle school-age students, just as some of my better teachers were mentors to me. 

Over the last few years of my career, I’ve developed a good idea of what works and what doesn’t in regard to effective teaching.  I understand what it takes to retain the attention of the class, and how a good disposition and an understanding of the student mindset can make a difference.  For example, as a history teacher (a subject many students find boring), I have learned that the use of analogies and enthusiasm during class lectures, as well as the application of hands-on exercises, are strong tools in helping students understand and retain the information they learn every day in class.

Hadeel Abdulkareem - 6th Grade Diverse Learner Classroom Assistance - 2015 - Baghdad, Iraq - habdulkaree3@cps.edu

Peterson elementary
Mather high school
Northeastern Illinois University

I wanted to be back to a community that supported me when I first came to the US. I wanted to help students, and make students who are new to feel like Peterson is home and a safe place just like I felt when I first started. That feeling of helping the younger kids succeed, is what motivated me to come to work everyday with no complain! And when I see a student changing to the better that is my reward.

“It feels like home, everyone is welcoming and loveing. Also everyone is equal and each one of us as staff is important I love how we treated each other with respect and showing that we want the best for each other!”

Outside of Peterson, I like to shop and cook for my husband!