iLEAD AV Exploration Staff Spotlight: Meet EF Mrs. Schoelen!

This week we’re shining a spotlight on one of our dedicated iLEAD AV Exploration Educational Facilitators, Crystal Schoelen, AKA Mrs. Schoelen. Let’s get to know Mrs. Schoelen.

Q: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be at iLEAD AV Exploration.

Mrs. Schoelen: I earned my BA in Journalism from Cal State University, Fullerton, followed by an MA in Education from Azusa Pacific University, and later, my teaching credential from Cal State University, Fresno. Before transitioning to teaching, I spent 20 years as an ice skating coach, specializing in both single skating and synchronized skating teams. My teaching career began at SCVi, the founding school of iLEAD, where I taught 1st through 3rd grade in the dual immersion program. Teaching is my true passion, and I am thrilled to continue my journey at iLEAD AV Exploration.

Q: What do you LOVE about iLEAD AV Exploration? What sets it apart from other schools?

Mrs. Schoelen: What sets iLEAD AV Exploration apart from other schools is its collaborative approach, where educators and families work together as a unified team. This partnership focuses on finding the best strategies to help each learner excel in their educational journey.

Q: What’s the best part about your role? 

Mrs. Schoelen: The most rewarding aspect of my role is supporting and guiding families through both the challenges and triumphs their learners experience.

Q: There are great social-emotional learning activities/opportunities at iLEAD AV Exploration. Can you share a story about seeing learners using them in action (or yourself)?

Mrs. Schoelen: During synchronous instruction, the lesson begins with learners watching a social-emotional learning video and responding to a question that relates to both the video and their personal experiences. Recently, we’ve focused on addressing challenges and embracing mistakes as part of our theme. This has been especially relevant for the learners in my class, who initially showed hesitance and concern about making mistakes. It has been incredibly rewarding to see them become more confident and willing to take risks in answering questions and participating, applying the social-emotional lessons to their own learning journey.

Q: Please give us a few examples of hands-on project-based learning your learners are involved in.

Mrs. Schoelen: Second graders are engaged in a project to build structures that can withstand movement. They are exploring how the Earth’s surface is composed of shifting plates, which can sometimes cause damage to structures. By learning that engineers seek to design stronger and safer buildings, learners test their own designs for weaknesses, then refine and improve them. Using toothpicks and marshmallows, they construct structures and test how movement affects them. After experimenting with different designs, learners draw conclusions by writing sentences about which structures performed best and why.

Third graders are focused on constructing seawalls using various materials and addressing questions, such as “Which material makes the best seawall and why?” They build seawalls, make predictions, observe results, and record their conclusions throughout the process. Learners use rulers, measuring cups, and spoons to create models of sandy beaches, water, land, and seawalls, analyzing the effectiveness of different materials in their designs.

Q: In your opinion, what makes a great leader? How do you teach leadership?

Mrs. Schoelen: A great leader is someone with a growth mindset who motivates and listens to others, seeks to understand before being understood, works hard, models the behavior they expect, and shows kindness. Teaching leadership means demonstrating it yourself and demonstrating the key traits of effective leaders.

Q: Please name three to five fun/interesting facts about you. Extra credit for lots of details.

Mrs. Schoelen: Here are some interesting facts about me:

1. I started skating at age five and soon developed a profound passion for the sport, competing for 10 years before transitioning to a professional figure skating coach. In this role, I had the privilege of traveling across the country, leading synchronized ice skating teams to national competitions throughout the United States.
2. In 2001, I was a Pasadena Rose Parade Princess, riding on the Royal Court Float and walking onto the field at the Rose Bowl alongside the Purdue University Boilermakers and the University of Washington Huskies.
3. I’m a huge Los Angeles Kings fan and have attended multiple games with my two kids and my husband.

We’re so happy Mrs. Schoelen is a part of our iLEAD AV Exploration community!