About Lightning Strikes

Who am I?

I'm Becky Leff, a 4th grade teacher at Quest Academy, an independent school for gifted children in Palatine, Illinois. I have been teaching at Quest for 16 years, the first six in kindergarten and 4th grade since then. A career changer, I went back to school and earned an M.Ed. in elementary education from DePaul University after previously earning two degrees in music. Prior to becoming a teacher, I was an editor/writer for a music magazine, managed a small theater company, worked for a law firm, and played (French) horn. I still play horn in a number of community groups.

I live in the suburbs of Chicago with my husband, a semi-retired high school band director and our two cats. Our son is an illustrator and our daughter is a graduate student in music. Besides teaching and playing horn, I love to read and spend time taking walks, doing yoga, and cooking vegetarian meals.

What is Lightning Strikes about?

I started this blog because I wanted to write about educational ideas that interested me. I write about curricular elements that I am trying or thinking about, as well as viewpoints from gifted education. I would love to hear your comments and ideas.

I love teaching at an independent school, trying out new ideas within our curriculum and collaborating with other teachers. Each year my students are an inspiration to me, bringing their eagerness to the classroom. I see my job as continuing to nurture their love of learning, while helping them become independent learners and good citizens of our world. I hope I can share some of what I do through this blog.