About Mr. Lutz
Greetings! My name is Matthew Lutz (pronounced Loots). I am delighted to be your child's first grade teacher here at Central Elementary School. The 2019-2020 school year marks my tenth year as an elementary school teacher. Prior to joining the staff at Central, I taught first grade for four years and full-day kindergarten for five years. I am so excited to return to first grade! I live in Chicago with my husband, AJ, and our two energetic dogs: Graham and Georgia. Mr. AJ and I are small business owners in Andersonville as well. We own City Coffee, which is a comfy, neighborhood coffee shop that is cozy and welcoming to all! In my free time, I enjoy exploring new places in Chicago, working out, working at our coffee shop, spending time with my nephews, and making memories that will last a lifetime.
Mr. Lutz's Educational Background
Since I started Kindergarten, I have been obsessed with anything and everything related to school! I absolutely loved my kindergarten teacher! What I remember most about her is that she believed in me and loved me as though I was her own child. Academics did not come easy to me as a young learner; however, she made those seemingly-difficult obstacles invisible to me as a five-year old. She was a nurturing guide. I am forever grateful for her inspiration and lasting impact on my life. I graduated from Lewis University with highest honors in May 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education. I am endorsed as a learning-behavior specialist and hold additional endorsements in the areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. I returned to Lewis in 2011 and graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Reading and Literacy, which added a Literacy Specialist endorsement to my Professional Educator License. Outside of teaching young learners, I enjoy working with undergraduate and graduate students as an adjunct instructor at the university level. I teach courses in literacy methods, children's literature, and elementary mathematics methods. Being a lifelong learner, I decided to return to graduate school in January of 2018. I am working to complete a second Master of Arts degree in School Leadership with a Principal endorsement from Concordia University Chicago. I will graduate in May 2020. I love to learn and my wish is to inspire my first graders to love learning and its many offerings.
The photograph on the left is of Mr. Lutz (left) and Mr. AJ (right). The photograph on the right is of our two loving pups: Graham (left) and Georgia (right). Graham is a Shiba Inu/Beagle mix and Georgia is a Black Lab.
