Meet Your Teachers
John LueckMATH
My name is John Lueck, and I'm both excited and honored to be teaching IB Algebra and Geometry this year at Lanier Middle School. This is my first year at Lanier (go Purple Pups!). I came to Houston two years ago as part of Teach For America after graduating from the University of North Carolina (any basketball fans here?). For the past two years, I taught 11th-grade physics and started the AP Calculus program at Eisenhower Highschool in the Aldine neighborhood. I have a passion for instilling a deep, conceptual understanding of mathematics while fostering a joyful environment. I think this is critical to ensuring students are not only prepared for advanced courses, but also excited to learn. My three favorite places in Houston are Buffalo Bayou Park, Chinatown, and, of course, Montrose. When I'm not teaching, you might find me running (slowly), reading (also slowly), or eating (quite quickly). I cannot wait to meet you all.
Najma BanoSCIENCE
I am currently serving as an IPC/Science teacher at Lanier MS. I started teaching in 2005 and joined Lanier Middle School in 2012. I am multilingual and can communicate in English, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi fluently. I can read and write in Arabic and Persion and understand some as well. I love cooking, music, glass art, and flower arrangements. I enjoy traveling and have taken student tours to England, France, Italy, and Japan. I am planning another student tour in Spring 2021. Connect with me if you are interested. I have a zero tolerance, No Place for Hate classroom environment.
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Steve DuesterbeckUS HISTORY
My name is Steve Duesterbeck. I was born/raised in Wisconsin and I remember six months of winter and four weeks of really nice weather. When it wasn’t cold you had to fight off the deer flies and mosquitos. Long story short, I love the Houston weather!!! I graduated from UNLV with a Bachelor’s in Political Science. From there I earned a Master’s in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota. I have been at Lanier for three years and taught overall for 28 years. My hobbies are running, golf, yoga, reading, cooking, and movies. My quote of inspiration – “ As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them” – John F. Kennedy
Leslie KilbournLITERACY
Hi! I'm Leslie Kilbourn. I'm privileged to be entering into my fifteenth year of teaching (my second year at Lanier MS). I have taught English/Language Arts for ten years, and spent five years as an educational technology integration specialist-- an experience which has served me well in the past six months! I grew up in the Houston area, earned my BBA from Texas A&M University, and now live about two miles from the school with my high-school sweetheart, three boys (ages 6, 9, and 12), dog, cat, and tortoise. I love teaching and take pride in my responsibility to work hard for my students and make learning relevant and engaging.
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