Anne Oberdzinski
I am thrilled to be one of the 1st grade teachers at Odyssey! I grew up in the Denver area and went to school at the University of Colorado in Boulder. I then joined Teach for America, which brought me to Houston to teach for for three years. I received my Master's in Education during that time. It was in Houston where I met Dave, my husband. We then moved to Chicago, where we have been for the past 12 years. While teaching for a few years in the windy city, I found my way to Polaris Charter Academy, the only elementary Expeditionary Learning School in Chicago. I helped start the school as one of its founding teachers. As a Nationally Board Certified teacher, I have worked with students from kindergarten through 8th grade, both in multi-age classrooms as well as looping with students. I spent my last three years in Chicago developing the role of High School Placement Coordinator at Polaris, helping students and families navigate the complexities of the Chicago high school application process. While I loved the opportunity to work with 8th graders get into excellent high schools, I missed the classroom and the wonder and joy of learning new things.
I am so happy to get back to my roots and my passion- early elementary education and mathematics. I believe that children learn best through meaningful, authentic, real-world experiences and I can't wait to work with some of Odyssey's youngest learners! I have two lovely and lively children of my own, Jack and Katie. In our free time, we love to play, read, swim, and enjoy the outdoors.
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