Shannon L. Blady’s favorite teacher (and she has had many greats to choose from) was her second grade teacher Mrs. Angela Rattler. Mrs. Rattler was the teacher whose face lit up when any student walked into the room. Shannon had the great fortune to call Mrs. Rattler a colleague when she returned to teach at John Dibert Elementary School as a first grade teacher for a few years. She had just looped with a class of first graders when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

After Katrina, Shannon moved to San Antonio where she taught second and fourth grades and seventh grade English and completed her PhD in Education. Her research focused on writing instruction and professional development for teachers. When she returned to New Orleans in 2013, she taught 10th and 11th grade English at International High School and reading and writing courses at Delgado Community College. From 2016 to 2021, Shannon was a Professor of Practice at Tulane’s Teacher Preparation and Certification Program and served as director of the program for over three years. She also served as a Social Entrepreneur professor with the Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking for five years.

As Executive Director of AfterCLASS, Shannon has as her first goal to support local teachers and as a very close second, to elevate the profession of teaching. Oh, and she can’t wait to invite Mrs. Rattler to be a part of it all.

Monique’s favorite teacher was a college professor at Louisiana State University. Professor Rabala worked diligently with Monique and supported her as a student and young adult. Monique worked with Professor Rabala as a student intern and remembers her experiences with Professor Rabala like they were yesterday.

As the Events Manager for AfterCLASS, Monique organizes experiential learning programs and engaging opportunities for teachers that give teachers a platform to broaden their teacher toolkits.

Her interests include connecting educators to learning opportunities locally and connecting students to the global world and interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning that meet the needs of diverse learners. She co-teaches a course entitled Student Leaders Committed to Cultural Diversity and is a College Track Mentor for the class of 2023.

Brooke’s favorite teacher was her fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Keem. “Mrs. Keem was everybody’s favorite teacher because she had this way about her that just made everyone feel special; that we all were the center of her attention.” Brooke’s own teaching career started outside of Buffalo, New York where she served as a middle school social studies teacher for ten years. 

Currently, Brooke is a Professor of Practice in the Teacher Preparation & Certification Program at Tulane University where she prepares new teachers for the PK-12 classroom. She also works to support first-year Tulane students in their transition to college in several capacities. This includes being a member of the First Generation Faculty & Staff Council, a faculty mentor in the residence halls, and a College Track mentor.

In addition to teaching, she runs SS NOLA, a program dedicated to supporting social studies teachers in the New Orleans area. As Program Director with AfterCLASS, she supports all teachers, provides them a space to build relationships, to grow, and to feel invigorated.

Desi Richter had a hard time choosing among her favorite teachers. Was it her third grade teacher, Mrs. Dubskey, who at the end of each day would stand and say to her students, “Roll into my arms!” Was it her college piano teacher, Dr. Gotko, who, knowing her perfectionistic tendencies, exclaimed, “You’ve got an A in the class! Can we just make music now?” In the end, Desi picked her most recent teacher, her major professor at UNO, Dr. Pat Austin. Dr. Austin embodies what it means to be a true mentor. She learns her students, listens to them, and always knows what to do to help them grow in their practice.

In addition to her work at AfterCLASS, Desi has worked as Instructor of Literacy at the University of New Orleans School of Education teaching literacy and methods courses. Desi is also a writing coach with Dissertation by Design. In her capacity as coach, she works with doctoral students nationwide to help them navigate their dissertation writing with confidence and excellence.

As Communications and Strategies Manager at AfterCLASS, Desi is excited to spread the word about all the wonderful supports AfterCLASS offers to teachers in NOLA. She is also thrilled to plan and execute innovative professional development for our local teachers.