Rana is a passionate advocate for students. She believes that a high quality education is a game changer and that access to effective instruction is the strongest driver of academic achievement. Rana operates with the belief that all students can learn, given appropriate tools and support. Rana is a mother, wife and dreamer (in the John Lennon sense of the word). Outside of education, the things that make her come alive are music, art, food, culture and travel. Rana worked as a classroom and mentor teacher for 14 years at Austin Oliver Sexton Elementary School, a K-8 school on the south side of Chicago. As a 3rd-5th grade teacher, Rana encouraged students to face challenges head on and provided strategies for to overcome them. She guided students to become independent thinkers. Rana's students were partners in education- setting goals and accepting responsibility for their learning. Under her tutelage, students consistently showed significant growth on standardized academic assessments. Rana was instrumental in starting an academic club with colleagues. Students were invited to join based on their academic record and teacher recommendations. She also organized a popular monthly book club open to students, teachers and parents. Rana sought out opportunities to expose her students to the world outside their neighborhood using books, field trips, guest speakers, food and music. Rana strongly believed in the importance of social-emotional learning, particularly for children who had suffered trauma. She used yoga and visualization to help build her students' stress relief and coping skills. An impeccable planner and highly reflective practitioner, Rana worked with the school's third-fifth grade cohort team to develop, plan and organize learning opportunities for students, as well as professional development activities for teachers. Rana is a powerful example of the impact that excellent teachers can have on those around them.
