Fun Facts about Mrs. Krsek-Lives in Niles in a home that is walking distance from her parents.

-Met her husband while they were both working as cashiers at Jewel-Osco.-Paraded at Disney World with her high school marching band.

-Holds an endorsement in teaching English as a second language and a master’s degree in language arts.

Natalie Krsek is marking 15 years at Meadowbrook this school year, a milestone she pursued with a great deal of patience when she first started teaching. Mrs. Krsek grew up in north suburban Niles as the oldest of four children, a role that set her on the path toward a career in education. “I always would help my mom with my siblings,” she recalled. After graduating from Niles West High School, Mrs. Krsek attended Northeastern University where she majored in elementary education and minored in linguistics. She got her first teaching job as a fourth grade assistant at Meadowbrook and felt right at home at the school. She knew it was the place she wanted to be, but it took three years of applying for positions before she was hired full-time. In the meantime, she taught at a parochial school in the city. Then in 2003, all of life’s big changes came her way at once. She was offered a job teaching at Meadowbrook, bought a house, and set off for her wedding at Sequoia National Park all in a matter of days. “It was a crazy summer,” she said. She returned from her honeymoon to begin teaching fourth grade at Meadowbrook. While she enjoyed the classroom experience, she also wanted to explore her interest in language and her fascination with how the brain works. So after seven years of fourth grade, Mrs. Krsek became an ELL (English Language Learners) teacher, a job that often draws the question: what other languages do you speak? The answer: none. “We used a lot of gestures, pictures, and patience,” she said, adding, “The students amaze me. It’s great helping students to feel confident, see them taking risks, and trying things out.” Two years ago, she had the opportunity to take on her own classroom and decided it was time for a change. She is now happily teaching her own first grade class. At home, Mrs. Krsek is busy with her own elementary-aged children, Benjamin, 4th grade, and Elliott, 2nd grade. Both boys play soccer which keeps the Krsek family on the move during weekends. Benjamin is also learning to play the saxophone on an instrument that’s been in the family since the 1930s. Mrs. Krsek has played the flute since childhood, so she and Benjamin are working together to play the tune from Super Mario, a fun family project, but she said she would “never play in front of everyone!” This summer, the Krseks are heading back to Sequoia National Park, where the couple were married. As a family, they love traveling to national parks and have also explored the Grand Canyon and Arches National Park in Utah. “I love being a part of something bigger than you are,” she said, a sentiment that carries over to her classroom and the pleasure of helping her students “become something someday.”

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