After Maggie Castrogiovanni questioned the career path she was on, she took action, changing course and transitioning from apparel design into an award-winning family and consumer science teacher at Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort.
The change has worked exceptionally well for her students as well as for the teacher known as Ms. C, Coach C or Ms. Castro, to abbreviate her 14-character last name, as Castrogiovanni recently received the Bob Haisman Teacher of the Year Award.
A happy day, indeed.
“It was really cool because one of my colleagues nominated me for it,” she said. “I teach next to him for one of the classes and he heard some of my kids saying it’s their favorite class and so much fun. He asked me what I’m doing in there. I’m really flattered so when they called me I was in shock for this because I’m not doing anything over the top.”
Castrogiovanni was the only teacher in the state to receive the award from the Illinois Education Association, which is based on excellence in the classroom, commitment to public education and for advancing a positive image of “new teacher” for the wider educational community.
While Castrogiovanni was quite appreciative and respectful of her teachers while a student at Lincoln-Way East, she never saw herself returning to Frankfort to teach. Perhaps to design new dance team uniforms, but teach? Nah.
“I realized I didn’t want to work in a corporate environment,” she said. “What I really like to do is help people. Now I’m able to help others kind of find their own talents and passions.”
Senior Sofia Contreras has taken three of Ms. C’s classes and really appreciates how she’s able to relate to the entire classroom.
“She makes sure everyone is comfortable 24/7 and she takes the time to help every student individually,” Contreras said. “I also think the fact that she tries to know us and relate to us at some personal level, it really makes the class 10 times better because you don’t see her as teacher, but more of like a friend/mentor.”
Senior Emma Melone, who is taking Castrogiovanni’s Human Relationships class, said it’s quite obvious Castrogiovanni loves to help all her students. In one case, she reached out to them after the recent Capitol riot.
“She sent out a message to the class saying that if anyone wanted to talk to her she would gladly set up a meeting on Zoom with her students and just listen to how they feel and help guide them,” she said. “That stuck out to me a lot because in every other class, teachers just brush current important events to the side to not upset anyone, but I loved how she brought attention to it and made everyone feel comfortable and feel OK to be stressed and scared and upset.”
Castrogiovanni is teaching a variety of subjects in just her second year as a teacher, including Intro to Foods, Nutrition, What’s for Dinner, Human Relationships and Design. She also enjoyed teaching English when she first started at East.
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“I started off with English just because the program wanted you to start with a core class instead of family and consumer science, which is an elective,” she said. “I enjoyed teaching English and I love teaching family consumer science life skills to kids. I get to teach kids how to cook and (in turn) they’re telling me what they’re making for the Super Bowl and how they’re making nutritious meals.
After studying apparel design at Ball State University and growing disinterested in future corporate opportunities, Castrogiovanni suddenly found herself having to make a big decision and to take positive action. It was the kind of action that requires life management skills, the kind of scenarios that are often discussed in family and consumer sciences classrooms.
She did some soul searching. Then, she began substitute teaching in Lincoln-Way District 210 while working on her master’s degree in education. In the process she found out that she wanted to teach. Her story is one she’ll happily share with her students.
“I’ve always been transparent about my decision making with my college career,” she said. “I didn’t start with education but got it later and that’s OK to do. Now I love what I do and I try to reinforce to (my students) that it’s not a race. Even if you choose not to go to college or other big decisions, at the end of the day it’s finding out what you want to do and doing it.”
As for apparel design, she still enjoys showcasing her talents and occasionally even dons her own digs in the classroom. That’s real life living, show and tell.
“I actually do make women’s apparel and do different shows,” she said. “And I definitely have a few pieces I’ll wear now and again. My students sort of know when I wear some of my stuff or they’ll ask, ‘Is that one of yours?'”
The Bob Haisman Teacher of the Year definitely knows the correct answer.
C.R. Walker is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.