Palatine High teacher's military lessons inform her teaching

Brenda Moreno, who has been in the Illinois National Guard for 11 years, teaches sophomore and senior English at Palatine High School.

Moreno, who grew up in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Chicago, also is the head debate coach, after having been recognized as the second best speaker at the City Championship during her senior year in high school.

Moreno served two deployments overseas while getting her bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, one time leaving her 3-year-old daughter for 12 months. In her fourth year of teaching, she is working on her master's degree at DePaul University.

Part of the 935th Aviation Support Battalion, she said her military career has been one of her most rewarding experiences, giving her the opportunity to see the world, teaching her empathy for others, showing her the true value of family and the importance of friendship. She loves to watch movies with her husband and daughter, go to the library and work out.

Q: Why did you choose to go into teaching after leaving the military, and how did you go about entering the field?

A: I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. My teachers in high school became like second parents, and were very influential in my life. They provided me with the structure and discipline that ultimately helped me succeed. I wanted to be just like them.

After high school, due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to go to college. When I was able to join the military, I knew that it'd be a way for me to earn my education and become a teacher, so I enlisted at first as a way to get to my end goal, but almost 12 years later … I'm still in. It's a little hard being a full-time teacher, grad student and soldier.

Q: How does your experience in the military influence your educational philosophy and your approach to teaching?

A: As my unit's retention sergeant, I'm usually the one who welcomes new soldiers in. I see them and think, "These kids could have been my students." I think that, aside from my service overseas, the opportunity I've had to engage with younger soldiers has allowed me to consider what it means to be successful for a student in today's classroom.

Many times, when I come down on a soldier about his behavior or not doing what they were supposed to be doing, I get told I'm insensitive. I'm not. I think back to my drill sergeant in boot camp, and she'd often say, "My job is to teach you the skills that are going to keep you alive and make you a successful soldier. I am not here to be your friend."

I tell my students something similar during the first few weeks of school: I am friendly, but I am not your friend. I am your teacher, and I need to make sure you learn a particular set of skills.

Q: What do you tell your students about your service, and, as a veteran, why it is important for your students to understand the importance of Veterans Day?

A: I mention my service in passing. I tell my kids that being in the service was something that helped me get to where I knew I'd always be, and I am grateful to be able to reap the benefits of what I've worked for.

For me, it's important that my students understand the importance of Veterans Day because, often, people don't realize the sacrifices our veterans make for their country, and for their loved ones.

Being away from your loved ones, your home, and your comfort zone is not easy. Not everyone who is able is willing to serve their country, and so recognizing the importance of this day means a lot.

Many vets don't expect a thank you. They may not even feel entitled to it, but, for me, it's important that I thank a vet, especially on Veterans Day, because it's the easiest thing I can do: thank them for their sacrifice.

Q: As in the military, success in the classroom requires a level of discipline. How do you balance that with making learning fun and your classroom time engaging for students?

A: I don't know how fun my classroom is. My daughter recently suggested I make rap videos to make reading about difficult issues fun. I'm not sure I'll take her advice.

In the classroom, I try to engage students by incorporating a lot of group work and opportunities for discussion, which are skills that transfer outside of the classroom. I often try to connect the issues we talk about in the classroom with the world at large.

High school is a time where students are finding themselves, and learning that there are people just like them, who are struggling through the same issues, allows them to engage in what they are learning.

High school is a time where students are finding themselves and navigating new experiences. The opportunity of learning about people who are also struggling through the same issues they are going through allows students to engage with what they are learning.