Staff Crew Spotlight: Ms. Madi Pavey - First Grade Teacher

We are kicking off staff spotlights for this year! We can’t wait for you to get to know first grade teacher, Ms. Madi Pavey!
If you are lucky enough to have her this year, you know what a gem Ms. Madi is. In her first-year teaching, she is all the things you expect in a new teacher: she is bright, welcoming, warm, and excited to teach. Her enthusiasm in the classroom shines through her students each day. She is a wonderful new addition to our staff this year and we are so excited to have her as part of our REMS family. 
Madi grew up in Highlands Ranch with her parents and two brothers. Her mom was a stay at home mom and always was there to provide support for her kids. “I am very close to my mom and was grateful to have her there when I needed her,” she said. Her dad just retired from a big airline where he was a pilot for over 30 years. As for her two big brothers, one living in Cincinnati and is working towards his doctorate in piano performance, and one who lives in Boulder and is a computer electrical engineer for a firmware company.  Madi shares that she is extremely close to her family and loves them dearly.  She attended Douglas County Schools growing up, was a lacrosse player, and sang in the Colorado Children’s Chorale!!  Six years in the Children’s Chorale gave her the opportunity to sing at a multitude of events and even allowed her to travel to Europe on tour! How cool is that? Maybe we will be lucky enough to hear her perform one of the days! 
“I decided to continue my education at the University of Colorado Boulder. Boulder was my home for the past four years and one of my very favorite places to be. I chose CU so I could be close to home and my family. While at CU I spent a lot of time outside and enjoying nature as a great way to relax. I have a love of hiking, paddle boarding, swimming, and traveling! I even was lucky enough to spend last summer studying abroad in Rome! I love Europe and can’t wait to go back!” Madi shared. 
Madi received her BA in Psychology because she liked to study and learn why we do the things we do. “I loved to learn about the brain and any social aspects that go along with that. I found the classes extremely interesting and am so glad I did it,” she said. During her work in the psychology program, she also applied for the Elementary Education Licensure Program as she felt that the two went hand in hand.
“Psychology and education really go well together because I was able to learn so much about the development and social aspects of children. It was very applicable when I started working in schools and I could see a lot of things I learned about happening right before me!” Madi said. She also had plenty of encouragement from those around her sharing what a great teacher she would be. As part of the program curriculum, she was placed in the actual classroom to complete practicums. During that time, she discovered that teaching was a passion and decide that she needed to become a teacher. A wonderful mentor full experience helped to prepare Madi for taking on her first classroom this year!
So what brought Ms. Madi to Renaissance? She was looking for a job near home and decided to interview for the open first-grade position after Ms. Jill decided to retire. From the moment she walked into the interview, she felt like she was speaking with friends. “I felt valued and welcomed from that moment and knew I wanted to be Crew! With a love of the outdoors and education, having a school where she could do hands-on learning and outdoor education seemed like the perfect fit. 
“I can’t wait to delve into all things REMS,” she shares, “drumming, expeditions, voyages, and being crew! I was paired with Mr. G and Ms. Mikaela as my mentors this year and I can’t say enough good things about them. They always help me, answer my questions, provide support, and help me become a better teacher! I love listening to them as they share their passion for learning with me. I can’t wait to be on Voyage with my kids and to create those lasting memories and relationships with each one of them after hearing the experiences both of my mentors have had out there. I am truly so grateful and honored to be working with Mr. G and Ms. Mikaela this year!” Madi shared. 
What do you think of teaching during a pandemic? “It is not the first thing I thought I would be doing as I had graduation on the horizon, but I was so lucky to have my student teaching under a mentor during the last part of last school year. I was able to pick up on all the things that worked well for her class and implemented them in mine this year. While I can’t wait to have my whole crew together, I have really enjoyed getting to know each one of my students on a deep level and start an early connection with them all. I have been able to get to know their needs right off the bat, and value that dearly,” she said.
Goals for herself in the upcoming year: “Move out of my parents,” she laughed as she shared. “Right now I am saving money, hoping to be able to start traveling again during my summers and really excited to spend time becoming a great teacher!” 
“For my students, I want them to know that they are loved and they can do anything they want to do!”
Madi, we are so grateful to have you and wish you the very best first year teaching! Welcome to Renaissance!

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