Ms. Edwards

6th-8th Grade Science Teacher

Hopes & Dreams for . . . 

Students: My hopes and dreams for my students are that they are always seeking to answer questions and solve problems. I hope that all of my students will continue to grow social-emotionally and be able to navigate through the middle school years as they prepare for high school.

Colleagues: My hopes and dreams for my colleagues this year are to be collaborative, flexible and happy.

Self: My hopes and dreams for myself are to continue to create a rigorous and interesting science curriculum that helps students to fully and completely understand the three strands in science and continue to grow a love (or at least a strong like) for science and engineering. To be collaborative, flexible and build a strong Prescott community with Prescott teachers and staff.

Ms. Hall

6th-7th Grade Math Teacher

Hopes & Dreams for . . . 

Students: To be excited about their math learning, see what possibilities math has in the real world, and enjoy coming to math class

Colleagues: To create a collaborative learning environment for our students and to learn from other staff

Self: To find a healthy balance between work life and personal life

Ms. Showalter

6th-7th Grade Language Arts Teacher

My name is Tayler Showalter, and I teach 6/7 grade English Language Arts (ELA). I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to Chicago post-graduation to teach. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood Education, and a Master’s Degree in Teacher Leadership. This is my fifth year at Prescott, and my tenth year teaching. As a teacher of middle school students, I hope to cultivate a joyous classroom environment that marries intentional instruction with building a lifelong love for books. Students will be asked to read (a lot!), and work collaboratively to interpret, analyze, and discuss text. My hope is that students learn more than they thought they could, and have fun while doing so! When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband and friends, trying new restaurants, and traveling.

Hopes & Dreams for . . . 

Students: I hope my students find new books that inspire them, challenge them, and make them think deeply about the world. I hope they develop a “never quit” attitude that allows them to persevere through challenges, and believe in themselves as they strive to meet their goals. I dream of my students taking ownership of the classroom and becoming a family. 

Colleagues: I hope to work closely with my coteacher to enhance learning for our students. I hope to learn from and laugh with my colleagues.

Self: I hope I can learn to balance my work and home life so I can be the best version of myself at school and home.

Mr. Schiffern

6th-8th Grade Social Studies Teacher

I am from Idaho Falls, Idaho. I went to Colorado State for my undergraduate degree in Speech Communication and Theater. I attended Depaul University for my Masters in Teaching and Learning. I have lived in Chicago since 2000. I have two siblings, one brother, who is older and one sister, who is younger. I am married to my wonderful husband, Rick. We have two cats (Jane and Justin,). My family takes up most of my free time, but some hobbies that I enjoy are running, traveling, seeing live theater, reading books, watching movies and true crime shows on TV. I teach social studies to 6th, 7th and 8th grade. This is my 18th year teaching and I am really excited for another awesome year at Prescott!

Hopes & Dreams for . . . 

Students: I hope that my students love middle school and that they are inspired to learn about the world. I hope they challenge themselves and do their best work while having fun!

Colleagues: I hope my colleagues enjoy each day with their students and feel successful and supported in the things they are trying.

Self: I am hoping to try new and exciting things and build trusting relationships with my students and colleagues. I hope to smile a lot and love coming to school! 

Ms. Lohman

7th-8th Grade Math Teacher

My name is Julie Lohman, and I teach 7/8 grade Math. I grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa, and moved to Chicago in the middle of high school and graduated from Jones College Prep. I went to The University of Nebraska-Lincoln where I was on the Women’s Bowling Team (Go Big Red!!) and I later transferred to UIC. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching of Mathematics. This is my third year teaching in CPS, and my first year at Prescott. I started teaching at the high school level and was able to see what math concepts students need to know before entering high school. This is my first year teaching middle school and I am so excited for this change and to help the middle school students at Prescott learn as much as they can before graduation! I am passionate about every student maturing socially, emotionally, and academically. I hope to create a fun, creative, safe, and adventurous classroom environment for all of my students. I am looking forward to a great school year at Prescott!

Hopes & Dreams for . . . 

Students: My hopes for my students are that they feel confident, comfortable, and welcome in my classroom. My dream for my students is to learn as much as possible throughout the year and have as many 8th graders as possible pass the Algebra Exit Exam at the end of the year. 

Colleagues: I hope that we can form closer relationships in and out of the classroom and continue to support each other in the ways we need. 

Self: I hope to learn more from my students about how to better support them emotionally and academically. I dream to have at least 70% of the 8th graders pass the Algebra Exit Exam. 

Ms. Choi

7th-8th Grade Language Arts Teacher

Hello Families!

I was so excited to join the Prescott family in 2022 and teach 7th and 8th grade! I hold a Bachelors in English and a Masters in Education. This will be my 13th year teaching middle school English Language Arts (ELA). 

I am passionate about every child learning and growing both academically and emotionally. I strive to create a fun and safe learning environment where students make meaningful connections between their lives and reading and writing.

I look forward to partnering with you to make sure your child has a happy and successful school year.

Hopes & Dreams for . . . 

Students: I hope that my students stay curious and always ask questions. I hope that my students push themselves to read more pages this year. I hope that they see themselves in characters and experiences in books. 

Colleagues: I hope that our colleagues support and grow with one another this year. I hope that they have joyful classrooms, and that they practice self-care.

Self: I hope that I create a classroom where students feel safe and welcome to make mistakes and learn from them. I hope that I can create meaningful lessons and experiences for my students.