Yana Gurova
I was born
in Sofia, Bulgaria and moved to the United States with my parents when I was 5
years old. Ever since then, I have lived in Baltimore, Maryland and loved every
minute. I am a proud product of Baltimore County Public Schools, and couldn’t
be happier that I can work in the same school system that made me love
learning. I graduated in May 2017 from Towson University with a Bachelor’s
degree in Elementary and Special Education, and am so excited to begin my
teaching career at Timonium Elementary! I have volunteered at an art therapy
program for children and young adults with disabilities for several years, and
attribute much of my passion for special education to this experience. It has
taught me about creativity, flexibility, and that light (and some humor!) can
be found in any given situation. I strongly believe in student-centered
learning and a positive classroom environment, and I can’t wait to learn from
my students just as much as they learn from me!
Alison Kraus
I grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and knew I wanted to teach special
education when I was in high school. I spent half of my senior year assisting
students in the life-skills class and loved every minute of it. I went to
Towson University from 2007-2011 where I earned a Bachelors in Special
Education and Elementary Education. While at Towson, I started my career
at Timber Grove Elementary where I taught inclusion, ALS (Adapted Learning
Support), and first grade. After 4 years at TGE, I had the incredible
opportunity to open a brand new school called Lyons Mill Elementary in Owings
Mill. After being a first grade teacher for two years, I realized it was time
to go back to teaching special education where my heart is the happiest.
In my free time, I enjoy crafting, dancing, playing with my dog, and
trying new places to eat around Baltimore with my husband. I am extremely
excited to be a part of the Timonium family and look forward to many years to
come.
Rachel Sochurek
I was
raised in Harford County and have lived there most of my life. Since I was very
young, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I taught preschool in Harford County
for a couple years then decided that I wanted to dedicate my career to working
with children with special needs. I moved on to teaching for a BCPS literacy
program that included ESOL students and children with special needs. Shortly
afterwards, I graduated from Towson University with a bachelor’s degree in
Elementary Education and Special Education. In 2016, I started working at
Timonium Elementary and absolutely love it!
Lora Rendulich-Klipper
I’ve been teaching in Intermediate CALS
classroom at Timonium since the 1997-98 school year. It’s been a fabulous
learning experience to teach students with such diverse needs while keeping up
with the latest research and strategies in the field of autism. Of course,
I’ve learned the most from my students over the years since each student has
unique needs and learning styles. I grew up in Western Pennsylvania and
attended the University of Pittsburgh (so please forgive my Steelers
jerseys…it’s just in my blood). I decided to become a teacher after
working on a research project in education and a group home while working on my
Bachelors in Science. I then went on to receive my Special Education
certification and Masters in Education at the University of Pittsburgh. I moved
to Baltimore after accepting a teaching position at Duckworth School in Prince
George’s County. Since I enjoyed living in the Baltimore area, I decided
to live and teach in Baltimore County and have been here ever since! I
couldn’t be happier with my decision to teach in such a supportive and wonderful
school like Timonium Elementary!