BLOOM FACULTY & STAFF
Our teachers and staff are foundational to Bloom’s innovative approach to education as a dynamic, collaborative, and engaged experience of cultivating joyful, independent learners.
Bloom's multi-age classrooms, designed to meet students' developmental needs, maintain a low student-to-teacher ratio. This allows for differentiated instruction and strong teacher-student relationships, enabling ongoing, individualized assessment of skill development, interests, and social-emotional growth.
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Teachers guide individual and group projects aligned with 21st-century learning standards, using ongoing growth assessments—not standardized tests—to measure outcomes and improve instruction. Thematic units integrate learning across subjects, adding depth and relevance to students' lives.
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Bloom's teachers embody the qualities the school fosters in its students: curiosity, independence, authenticity, resilience, and joy. As founding board member Dr. Laura Kalmes noted, echoing John Dewey, "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." Bloom values each teacher's experience and collaborative interests in shaping its practices. The school views students as learners and active citizens, promoting diversity, equity, and justice. Teachers play a key role in nurturing lifelong learners and empowered community members.
GRACE SHEESE, Blossoms Classroom & Capstone
Grace, who is one of the co-founders of Bloom Community School, has more than 20 years of teaching experience in a range of settings. A graduate of the College of William and Mary who also holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Illinois State University, she has worked as a public elementary school classroom teacher, a reading specialist, and an English Language Learners (ELL) instructor. She is an active ceramics artist and previously taught as an adjunct assistant professor of art at Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois Central College.
Grace has developed a teaching philosophy that embraces a combination of structure and autonomy to promote learning and growth in her students. At Bloom, she strives to create a learning environment that fosters independence, self-confidence, personal responsibility, and social awareness. She designs cross-disciplinary project based learning activities to address curricular goals while also providing meaningful, authentic integrated experiences that encourage students to be active and engaged participants in their own learning and to develop into lifelong learners.
ALANNA OSTER, Sprouts Class
With 15 years of educator experience in a range of settings, Alanna has developed a philosophy of teaching and learning that prioritizes play, connection, and emotional safety as foundations for true learning and creativity. She builds on these by applying her background as a college-level English instructor and a collaborative parent educator for elementary-aged children in areas of history, humanities, and critical thinking. As a parent and teacher, she is also a proponent for children spending time learning in wild spaces for exploration, emotional regulation, and learning about the outdoors.
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Alanna focused on English literature while earning first a Bachelor's Degree and then a Master's Degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she also served as a Composition Teacher for college freshmen. She has particular interest in teaching others to use language as a tool for authentic and accurate expression while also examining rhetoric, reputable sources, and appropriate documentation. Committed to supporting a variety of learning styles, she has also utilized tools and technology to help those with language difficulties feel more comfortable with both reading and writing.
BETSIE GRAVLIN , Pods Class
Betsie Gravlin has been a dedicated early childhood education teacher and instructional leader for over 15 years. Her love of education and child development began in high school, volunteering in preschool and kindergarten classrooms, and continued through college where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Illinois. After graduating, she taught in multiple preschool settings and led Kindergarten readiness classes for parents through the United Way’s Read. Talk. Play. Every Day! program. Most recently she worked as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Little Legends Learning Center in Champaign, Il.
Through her years of teaching in different types of schools, Betsie has developed an educational philosophy centered on whole-child development, advocating that social-emotional and physical milestones are equally as important as academic growth. She supports teaching through play, exploration, and hands-on learning whether it’s inside a classroom or out in nature and in the community. Her hope is to foster a love of learning from the very start.
BROOKE COOK, Seedlings Class
Brooke brings over twenty years of experience working with young children and families in a variety of early childhood settings. Her background includes serving as a preschool teacher, early childhood special education paraprofessional, Kindermusik educator, and the owner and administrator of an early learning and childcare program.
Brooke believes children learn best when they feel safe, known, and excited to come to school. Her teaching philosophy centers on creating a warm and engaging classroom where children have opportunities to learn through play, exploration, literature, music, nature, and meaningful hands-on experiences. At Bloom, Brooke strives to balance structure with curiosity and choice, helping children develop independence, confidence, and a genuine love of learning. She especially enjoys building foundational literacy skills and using children’s interests and questions as a starting point for deeper learning and discovery.
LEAH SOUDER, Teaching & Learning Coordinator
With roots in Bloomington-Normal and teaching experience around the world, Leah brings a truly global perspective to Bloom. After leading the Sprouts Class at Bloom for four years, she moved into a new position as Teaching and Learning Coordinator, providing continuity in teacher and classroom support through collaboration and leadership as well as coordinating communication with families related to enrollment.
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Leah earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, cum laude, from Illinois State University. She also has an English as a Second Language certification through the American College of Education. She started her career in elementary classrooms in Minneapolis, Minn., after which she and her husband began an international sojourn. She taught at the North Jakarta (Indonesia) International School, QSI International School (Shenzhen, China), and at the Rabat American School (Morocco). A dedicated life-long learner, Leah has developed expertise in English as an Additional Language (EAL), reading and writing workshops, prevention of bullying, visible thinking strategies, supporting students succeeding with dyslexia, project-based learning, and co-teaching practices.