Hello Everyone! 

     My name is Brianna Emerson, and am looking forward to being your child's 2nd grade teacher for the 2019-2020 school year!  I am very excited to get to know you and your child!  This will be my first year teaching and I feel as excited as a child getting ready for their first day back to school.  I graduated from the teaching program at Southern Illinois University located in Grayslake, IL.  I go into this year with a knowledge of the curriculum and expectations already in place at Oakland Elementary School, because I was fortunate enough to also do my student teaching here. 

     Now, a little bit about me, I was born in Madison, Wisconsin, but spent most of my life living in Antioch.  I loved growing up in Antioch and am very happy to give back to this community.  I currently live in Wisconsin with my fiancé James and my furbaby Koby.  I have two younger sisters Janessa, who lives by Madison, WI and Karissa who is basically my neighbor.  I also have the most adorable niece, Maya, who is entering into 1st grade this year.  

    Before becoming a teacher, I worked as a Site Director for Champions, a before and after school care program.  I spent most of my time at the schools in Antioch, Beach Park, Grayslake, and Lake Forest.  I spent 11 years working for this program and loved getting to know the children and really taking the time to build relationships that last a lifetime.  I also spent some time in Upstate New York where I worked with children with disabilities and high medical needs.   All of these opportunities taught me so much and helped shaped me into the teacher I am today.

    I have dreamt of this very moment since I was little and now my dream is finally a reality and I could not be more excited!  Well, let's be honest, I did want to be an astronaut, a veterinarian, and a cat at one time.  However, I always came back to the dream of teaching!  I look forward to meeting and working with you to ensure that your child will succeed to the best of their ability! 

P.S. My classroom theme this year is llamas and cacti, so be prepared to endure some llama-zing puns! =)