‘Passion and heart’: Music instructor at Schaumburg’s dual-language Dooley School among Suburbs’ Top Teachers
Though not a Japanese speaker herself, music teacher Rhonda Conrad feels a responsibility to include Japanese songs in almost every singing concert she plans at Dooley Elementary School in Schaumburg.
An optional English and Japanese dual-language curriculum has informed the school’s culture for longer than her 21 years there.
It’s just one aspect of the exhaustive sense of personal duty Conrad demonstrates for her students and colleagues that puts her on the Daily Herald’s list of The Suburbs’ Top Teachers.
This month, however, she’s busy preparing third and fourth graders for an upcoming Veterans Day concert that’s the one exception to her usual rule.
She’s making sure they master both the words and inflections of such numbers as “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue” and “The Army Song.”
During one recent third grade class, she passionately praised the students’ achievement of “God Bless America.”
“Tears start to come in my eyes,” she told them afterward. “Give yourselves a pat on the back. That really moved me!”
When it comes to the Japanese songs included in other concerts, Conrad learns the lyrics phonetically before teaching them to her students — in some cases, the same way. But the same dedication to doing them justice exists.
It goes to the heart of the deep respect for all forms of music she aims to impart, even if no one has to be a fan of every style. And even that is just a stepping stone to what she ultimately hopes to leave with every student.
“An appreciation of people’s differences,” Conrad explains. “That we’re all special and it’s OK to be different.”
The inspiration for her career came from two sources: An all-encompassing desire that it involve music and the example of her Danville High School algebra teacher Gayle LeCount, who persuaded her not to drop the gifted class where the B grades she was earning were ruining her otherwise straight-A record.
“It’s OK not to be perfect,” Conrad said. “That was a life lesson for me. I was testing him and he was still being very kind to me. Being an overachiever can be frustrating.”
That influenced not only her goal to work with students but also what she feels is key to her distinct way of interacting with them.
“Humor,” she said. “I’m real with them. If I make a mistake, I’m going to laugh about it. How can this 56-year-old teacher be cool to these students?”
And what do the students say of their music teacher?
“She’s confident, encouraging, nice and kind,” said third grader Iretishesola “Mariah” Ogunronbi. “She makes music class fun.”
“I like her because she’s kind,” classmate Shiho Toriyama said. “She makes me laugh when she talks about things.”
“She’s really kind and nice,” added Xander Goodrum. “One of the things I like is the concert every year.”
The fact Conrad wrote the official school song a dozen years ago and still composes new Dooley songs every year is among the reasons her colleagues respect her.
“She just brings so much passion and heart to this work and brings the community together,” Dooley Principal Kristine Belt said. “She’s not just a music teacher, she creates experiences. She’s a leader in our school just by modeling how to support students and build relationships with students.”
For the students who start kindergarten at Dooley, Conrad will work with them for seven years before they move on to junior high.
“I really focus on kindergarten, because that’s my future,” she said. “Every year we build on that.”
But that long shared experience is what makes her students’ graduation from Dooley so bittersweet for Conrad.
“I say, ‘See you later,’ I don’t say goodbye,” she relates. “‘Don’t forget Mrs. Conrad, because she won’t forget you.’”
epeterson@dailyherald.com
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Curriculum vitae: Rhonda Conrad
Danville High School 1988
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Bachelor of Science in Music Education) 1992
Aurora University (Master’s in Educational Leadership-Principal Certification) 2005
Roosevelt University (Elementary Classroom Certification, Grades 1-6) 2011
Mahomet Schools District 3 (Assistant Band Director, Grades 5-12), 1992-1993
Stratford Junior High, District 93 (General Music Teacher and Band Director), 1993-1996
Laurel Hill and Parkwood Elementary, U-46 (General Music Teacher), 2001-2003
Mohawk and Chippewa Schools, Bensenville School District #2 (General Music Teacher and Chorus), 2003-2004
District 54 Tenure
MacArthur School (Elementary General Music, Chorus and Band), 2004-2005
Frost Junior High, Hale, Dooley, Hoover and Enders-Salk (Band), 2005-2008
Dooley (Elementary General Music, Band, Orchestra and Chorus), 2008-2009
Dooley and Stevenson (Elementary General Music and Chorus, Itinerant at Stevenson), 2009-2010
Dooley and Collins (Elementary General Music and Chorus, Itinerant at Collins), 2010-2011
Dooley (Elementary General Music, Chorus, Band and Orchestra), 2011-2015
Dooley (Elementary General Music and Chorus), 2015-Present
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- Be your students’ #1 cheerleader!
- The most challenging student is the one you can make the greatest impact on, now and for the rest of their life.
- It’s all about relationships! Making connections with students can positively impact your classroom management!
- Take a few minutes at the end of each day and simply reflect. Think about what went well and what you could do differently.
- Create your own legacy! Develop traditions that students will remember and that you will cherish long after your teaching days are done.
― Rhonda Conrad, Dooley Elementary School