Noor Alkhawaja is a 2025-2026 Teach Plus Illinois Policy Fellow and English teacher at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois. She teaches freshman English and a senior elective class titled Literature of Chicago. Noor has taught in several districts, working with a range of grade levels, classroom sizes, and abilities. She is a member of her school’s Culture of Belonging Committee, created by staff and focused on the five pillars of belonging that help staff of color feel welcomed, known, included, supported, and connected. Noor obtained her bachelor’s at Elmhurst University, where she double-majored in English and secondary education and minored in reading. She is pursuing an endorsement in bilingual/English as a Second Language.
