Position
Elementary Teacher
Degrees
MA Teaching: Biological Sciences (Miami University)
BS Elementary Education (Elmhurst College)
Throughout her teaching career, Luetta Coonrod has taught learners from preschool through adults. As an elementary teacher at Calvert Academy, she loves helping her young students learn new things.
“I love seeing when students have that aha moment when something clicks for them,” she said. “One of my favorite experiences was with a student who was struggling. I worked with him (and his parent), and he was able to discover new ways of addressing his learning style issues. He began to succeed, and he eventually completed school with flying colors.”
The oldest of seven children, Mrs. Coonrod was born and grew up in Indiana until she moved to the western suburbs of Chicago as a young adult. Today, she stays busy as a historian civil war reenactor.
“I love how science and history come together to tell our story,” she said.
MORE ABOUT MRS. COONROD
Favorites: Food: pizza because you can eat it in so many different ways
Movie: “Dances with Wolves” with Kevin Costner
Song: “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
Book: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Vacation: civil war sites and other places to learn more about that time and the people
Three words to describe herself: Dedicated, caring, and organized
Alternative career choice: I would be a museum director, where I could combine local history and environmental education, so people could better understand their local roots and connections. This would involve a library for learning, research, and exploration.
Most treasured possession: A book written by Abraham Lincoln in 1854 before he became President of the United States.
Bucket list item: I want to spend a year inside the Smithsonian to explore all of the known and unseen treasures.
Person she’d most like to meet: Abraham Lincoln, without a doubt. I have been fascinated with him since I was eight years old. I saw his boyhood home and was amazed that he had gone from that dirt floor cabin to become the president. I started reading everything I could about him, and it started me on my historic path toward becoming a teacher.
Unknown gem: I have certificates in Museum Studies and Historic Preservation from Northwestern University. Another unexpected thing about me is that I spent ten days in Kenya as part of my master’s degree. The focus of the trip was how people, wildlife, and the landscape interact and impact one another. It was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life!