One of the easy parts of teaching, is showing how much you love your job. However,  finding the right school is often difficult. For Mrs. Assil she was excited to find Phoenix and start working.  She loves the energy of the students and teachers and feeds off of it. .

“During my interview process I was able to meet some of the students here. The students here at Phoenix really stand out among CPS students as respectful and hard working. I knew immediately that these were the students I wanted to work with. As a school Phoenix has shown so much growth since it first became a school and the staff here really care about the students and doing what is best for them. Overall, Phoenix offered the kind of work and learning environment I was looking for,”said Assil. 

Five weeks into working at Phoenix, Assil found herself on strike.  The strike went on for 11 days, but Assil fought through it. 

“When we first knew a strike was possible, I did not know what exactly to expect. This was my first strike with CPS and it was definitely tougher than I had expected. I had to get up even earlier than I do on a normal school day. It became challenging to keep up my energy as it kept getting colder each day. However, it felt really empowered to fight for a cause I really care about. It also felt really great being able to work with my new coworkers towards a common cause,” said Assil.

Assil teaches Algebra I and Geometry, but that’s not all she focuses on. Preparing students for the future is also a big goal for Assil.

“While I teach math, my top priority as a teacher is always to make sure my students are prepared for life after high school. On top of making sure they have the number sense, problem solving, and critical thinking skills they will need for whatever they choose to do, this also means teaching my students responsibility and perseverance. Life certainly does not get easier after high school; I want to make sure my students can be successful in their futures. A big part of being successful means taking responsibility for our own success and never giving up, no matter the challenge,” said Assil.

In addition to teaching, Assil helps Mrs.Flint with The National Honor Society and runs Math Lab with Ms.Perez. Assil has adapted to Phoenix very well.