Meet The Teacher

Hello First Grade Family and Friends!  

My name is Carley Benrus and I am so excited to be your child's First Grade teacher this year! I have been teaching at Middleton since the 2020-2021 school year. 

I am proud to teach in Skokie 73.5. It excites me that students and staff are able to form relationships with people from many cultures in our building. I seek to provide students with a culturally sustaining education that honors the assets they bring from home. I am truly grateful for all the teaching and learning opportunities afforded by this unique place, and love welcoming families into the classroom.

I grew up in Lake Zurich, IL with two older brothers and loved participating in the various drama and choir programs in elementary, middle, and high school.  I attended the University of Illinois and graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor's of Science in Elementary Education and received a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with Advanced Specializations from National Louis University in 2023. This included endorsements in Special Education and Multilingual Learner Education.

My teaching experiences include Kindergarten at Bright Horizons Deer Park, First Grade in Schaumburg, and Fourth Grade for one year in a neighboring Skokie District.  I love helping students discover what their strengths are and teaching them how to expand upon and incorporate these strengths throughout their educational and personal experiences. I love sharing picture books with my students and treasure our daily read aloud times. Our classroom success is centered in learning emotional regulation tools, gaining a sense of autonomy, and adopting the power of yet!

Like many teachers I love reading, coffee, time with family and friends, and dogs!  I live in Chicago with my partner Brad, who works in the graphic design field, along with our rambunctious puppy Sophie. We like to go on walks and explore all the restaurants and businesses in our neighborhood.

I look forward to the exciting and rewarding year ahead!  I can't wait to learn and grow together!