Meet Ms. Mikaela! Mikaela was born in Minnesota. She moved around quite a bit as a child calling Minnesota, California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Maryland her home at various points. Growing up, Mikaela always enjoyed being around children and teaching others. She babysat often and completed a work-study program during her senior year of high school where she worked in a daycare center. It was during this same year, that Mikaela really started to ponder her career path. Mikaela found great support from two amazing teachers that were a positive influence on her learning. She credits them with getting her through high school; they created enjoyable learning experiences and provided real-life applications. They valued her as an individual and helped her to reach her potential. By the end of her senior year, she knew that was something she wanted to do for other children and make that difference as well. After high school, Mikaela attended Towson University just outside of Baltimore, MD. She took a few detours along the way and even pursued restaurant management for some time. It didn’t take her long to realize sometimes managing adults can be much harder than managing kids! Recognizing the restaurant life wasn’t what she wanted long term, she returned to school to follow her dream and become a teacher! Upon graduating from college in 2001, Mikaela taught in Baltimore County Public Schools where she taught first, fourth, and fifth grades. In 2006, Mikaela and her husband, Will, welcomed their son, Mason, into their family. In 2008, she accepted a position at Friends School of Baltimore, a private school close to their home in Baltimore and a school they had at the top of their list for Mason. During her six year tenure at Friends, she taught first and fifth grades. Mikaela and her husband knew they didn’t want to stay in Baltimore forever and felt they should probably move before Mason became too much older. They had visited Colorado in recent years and had friends who had recently moved as well. Their love for the outdoors drew them to Colorado and in 2014 they landed in Castle Rock. School choice was new to Mikaela and she didn’t become aware of Renaissance until just a few weeks prior to their move. At that time, enrollment had closed. However, the more she read about Renaissance the more it felt similar to the private school they were coming from. They were barely unpacked in their new home when Mikaela attended the first parent orientation of the year. Bummed that they couldn’t get their son in, Mason attended two other elementary schools during their first few years in Castle Rock. After taking a couple years to get settled in their new environment, Mikaela returned to teaching at one of these schools where she taught second grade and worked as a literacy interventionist working with students in kindergarten through eighth grades. It wasn’t until Mason was in fifth grade that he was granted a spot at REMS. During Mason’s first year, Mikaela volunteered as a Crew Parent and realized first hand what a special place our school is. Mikaela knew she wanted to teach at Renaissance, but also recognized that she needed her space and Mason needed his. In 2019, Mason matriculated to Renaissance Secondary School and Mikaela joined the staff at Renaissance Elementary as a third grade teacher. The transition from being a parent at our school to being a teacher has been seamless for Mikaela. Upon talking with her you can tell how passionate she is about our school, her Crew, and about teaching. “I think it’s necessary to see the good in all of our students. It’s important to know them as individuals and to honor the unique gifts they offer to our Crew.” She also shared that she often asks herself if she would want to be a student in her crew. “I want to instill a love of learning, a desire to explore and take risks, and curiosity in all of my students.” The 2019-2020 school year marked her 16th year teaching but her first time teaching third grade. Mikaela said, “Third grade is really enjoyable to teach; actually every grade is wonderful in its unique way. However, third graders generally enjoy school, are much more independent, and they appreciate almost anything and everything I do…. And they still think I’m funny when I do silly things!” When asked what she likes most about working at REMS she said, “There are so many things! This job is very fulfilling and I appreciate the supportive community of students, parents, and staff. I value the autonomy we are given; we are encouraged to take risks, and there is a trust in us that we will all do what is best for kids. I enjoy getting to learn alongside my students and sharing experiences together; especially on our voyages. The bonding and learning that takes place on our overnight voyages is so valuable. It’s neat to have those shared experiences, that often push us, to reflect back on when things are challenging in the classroom. Overall, this is just such an amazing community and I feel lucky to be a part of it.” Ms. Billie had this to say about Mikaela, “She is very knowledgeable, organized, and has a wealth of knowledge to share with our staff. And, she is the mother of one of my former students. I feel we were so lucky to add her to our staff! It has been fun to work with her.” A parent in Mikaela’s crew shared this, “Mikaela goes above and beyond to get to know and connect with her students and families. This has been such a wonderful year for our child and our family.” Outside of school, Mikaela enjoys spending time with her family and their two dogs, Disco and Olive. They like to play games, cook, and travel. Mikaela also enjoys reading and can often be found with a book she’s reading professionally and one she’s reading for fun. Finally, she enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, camping, or just relaxing on her deck. It is always wonderful seeing a parent move into a teaching role at our school! Thank you, Mikaela, for sharing your passion for teaching and learning with our third graders. The 2021-2022 school year will be Mikaela’s 18th year of teaching and her third year teaching third grade at REMS. Comments are closed.
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February 2024
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