THE IGSS TEACHERS
I was born in Washington, DC, graduated from Georgetown University and then spent the next decade of my life doing things like: Americorps (twice), picking blueberries on an organic farm for a summer, backpacking throughout the west, serving in the Peace Corps, and having other fun adventures that did not apply to my degree. Teaching seemed like a natural fit; I earned my Master's in Education from Northwestern.
I served on the strategic plan committee from which IGSS emerged and was thrilled by the discussions we had about education and how to create a school that incorporates more autonomy and self-direction for students. We continue to have those same conversations, recognizing that IGSS is a work in progress and is shaped by all community members, especially our students. As a teacher in IGSS, I am challenged to think about teaching and learning in a very different manner, a process that is exciting (and sometimes painful).
LINDSAY TOBIAS
Coordinator/Social Studies
Teaching in the IGSS program has been one of my favorite parts of working at New Trier. IGSS presents the unique opportunity to collaborate with such a creative group of teachers on a daily basis, and their collective energy has enlivened my teaching practice in all areas of my work at New Trier. I also love that IGSS emphasizes collaboration between students and teachers. One of my goals as a teacher is that my students grow their confidence in their ability to read, interpret, and add their voice to the world around them. Working side by side with students as they develop those skills makes teaching deeply enriching for me.
In addition to being an IGSS English teacher, I am the Head Coach of the Girls Swimming and Diving Team. I have taught a variety of different "standard" English courses as well. I'm a parent of two very energetic boys, I play the drums and am learning to play guitar, and I like to run, bike, and spend time out of doors. I'm looking forward to a great school year!
MAC GUY
Coordinator/English
I am really excited and energized to join the adventure that is the IGSS program at New Trier. As a staunch supporter of Times New Roman, bullet-pointed to-do lists, and a color-coded social calendar for my family, this is going to be a fantastic opportunity for me to step outside of my normal range of comfort that traditional education can lend itself to and into a genuinely student-centered experience. Teaching and learning thrive when students have the opportunity to move into academic spaces driven by curiosity, and I view it as my responsibility to help provide students with the skills, strategies, and confidence to become self-sufficient learners, empathetic thinkers, and engaged global citizens who see themselves not simply as participants in our school, but as capable contributors in an increasingly complex world.
bell hooks said that “The classroom remains the most radical space of possibility... [It] is a place where paradise can be created”, and as a new IGSS teacher, I’m excited for the “paradise” that my colleagues and I, as well as our students, have the opportunity to try and create.
Outside of the classroom you can find me raising my handicap on the golf course, baking a loaf of sourdough, debating the correct way to load a dishwasher with my husband, and getting way, way, way too jazzed up about either of my 2 daughters’ golf, t-ball (yes, I said t-ball), or soccer activities.
VANESSA NOMURA
English
I believe that it is critical for students to be able to see themselves in the history we study: their people, their perspectives, their identities, their stories. Part of this is my job - making history relatable to students. And part of this is our job - a community of scholars (students and teachers), citizens, co-collaborators using what we study to help us build a better society. I am very excited to join the IGSS faculty to collaborate in efforts to empower students to find their voice, encourage them to take charge not only of what they study but how they investigate topics and present their findings. I’ve had a number of jobs at New Trier over the last couple of decades, but I really am most excited about joining this program. When we have some down-time in class, I’m sure I can be convinced to tell some stories from my time in the navy.
When I’m not teaching, I’m reading sci-fi books on the couch with my dog, Marcel, playing video games, mountain biking, or hanging out with my family (shout out to a certain geography teacher and a couple of fantastic kids).
TODD MAXMAN
Social Studies
I am an artist and a teacher. I'm a 1.5th generation Chinese-American by way of Colombia, South America. My family immigrated to the United States and settled on the Southside of Chicago where I still live with my book-nerd of a partner and perfectly imperfect child.
I strive to teach with love and humor. I would love it if my photography students turned their film in on time. As a teacher I want to encourage students to think critically, but with empathy, and to never accept the status quo as a predominant part of their lived experiences . My teaching style reassures failing as a learning step, experimenting to broaden your perspectives, and growing and learning in the rough moments.
TOM LAU
Art
Carlos arrived in our learning community as a model for a life-drawing class taught by an IGSS student during the first year of IGSS. As the story goes, Carlos was transmuted from an ordinary pheasant into something much more by the shotgun of the student’s father. After the life-drawing class, IGSS students grew close to Carlos and began to crave his company. A being of infinite wisdom and infinite jest, Carlos remains with us today as a spiritual guide, a comfort to the distressed, and a master of ceremonies during the house sorting process and the “IGSS-uation” graduation ceremony for seniors. He would urge you to remember:
“A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” -Maya Angelou
