Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Meet Hanna Cohen
In honor of Teacher Appreciation week, we are spotlighting the educational journey of some NLU faces! Meet Hanna Cohen, a 2020 graduate of the National College of Education’s MAT in Secondary Education program.
The Buffalo Grove native chose NLU as her university while she was working on her MS degree in Geosciences from Western Michigan University. Hanna realized she was developing a growing interest in teaching high school science. While researching multiple institutions, she realized NLU was able to work best with her schedule to complete her first masters and start teaching in charter schools. “The MAT program has evening and online classes that allowed me to teach and enroll in the program simultaneously. NLU was flexible and provided me with the resources to grow as a teacher.”
Now, Hanna teaches Chemistry and Astronomy at New Trier High school. She is also a coach in a strength and conditioning program and a co-sponsor for the Jewish Affinity Group at this school. Needless to say, after studying at NLU, Hanna found her niche.
What best prepared Hanna for her career were the lessons she learned in her NLU classes. Specifically, she starts her first day of each school year with an Oobleck activity, in a similar fashion of how Dr. Dipinto started his first for her and her classmates. “He showed us how starting the year with a nature activity can help set the tone for the year and I have been continuously growing my curriculum from this starting off point.”
Hanna also collaborates with other science teachers at New Trier. The teachers here aim to provide a space for students to experience science and learn in a way that works for them to achieve a more well-rounded education. Watching both students with a proclivity for the sciences as well as those who may struggle in the sciences enjoy an activity gives her the most joy. She also loves providing different experiences for her students to learn collaboratively and develop critical thinking skills. “It’s so exciting to see my all my students understand difficult problems and work together while learning.”
As far as her personal goals go, Hanna is determined to be a lifelong learner, as she believes that’s the only way to continually evolve and grow in her profession. One example of being a lifelong learning was by applying for and participating in the Space Exploration Educators Crew. Through this, she attends conferences and works with regional and national educators in space exploration, which brings her new ideas to her lesson plans.
“Be fully engaged in what NLU has to offer—the professors are wonderful and their lessons will help you now and years down the line,” she said in regards to advice for current MAT students. Hanna credits her instructors and classmates for setting her up for success and providing her the space to feel prepared in a professional working space.
Interested in becoming a teacher? You can view NLU’s educational programs here. We also invite you to contact an Enrollment Specialist online or call (888) 658-8632 to discuss your personal and professional goals.
