MEA member Leah Porter, a 15-year kindergarten teacher from Wilcox Elementary School in Holt, was named the 2021 Michigan Teacher of the Year (MTOY) on Thursday for her commitment to giving all children both the freedom and security of a trusted learning space within her classroom. “I want to instill a love of learning in […]
In marking the one-year anniversary of Michigan’s first COVID-19 case, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shared several stories last week about the inspiring work done by a variety of Michiganders during this pandemic. One person highlighted was MEA member and Warren Woods teacher Todd Bloch – the governor shared his experiences as an educator over the past […]
When he was a high school sophomore, MEA member Gary Mishica already had a collection of old cars and buggies to work on, so his parents shouldn’t have been surprised to find another vehicle when they returned to their Copper Country home from a (rare) vacation. They “flipped out” to see an orange 1942 Ford […]
MEA member Danya Stump knew from a young age that she wanted to be a teacher, but she didn’t figure out until college that she wanted to be a preschool special education teacher. The impetus for her direction was a little boy she was assigned to work with at the early child development center where […]
By Robyne Muray While some educators have transitioned to virtual teaching this year without missing a beat, remote learning has challenged many professionals to find ways to build student participation while continuing to provide necessary guided instruction, classroom management, differentiated support, and social-emotional learning. In my travels throughout the Lansing School District, I have witnessed […]
One of the ways that MEA member Demetrius Wilson challenges students in his Engineering, Robotics, and Mechatronics program is to put “faults” into equipment that students have to solve before they can proceed with other tasks. It’s one thing to know how to build or use equipment, but it’s next-level to fix broken stuff, he […]
MEA member Rachel Niewiada already knew her Grandville Middle School choral music students were wonderful singers, but after she appeared on the ABC television program The View the seven-year teacher now knows they’re incredible actors as well. Niewiada says she had no idea several of her students would appear in taped interviews to talk movingly […]
MEA member Rachel Niewiada already knew her Grandville Middle School choral music students were wonderful singers, but after she appeared last week on the ABC television program The View the seven-year teacher now knows they’re incredible actors as well. Niewiada says she had no idea several of her students would appear in taped interviews to […]
Last March Kat Sibalwa, Byron Center High School teacher and BCEA co-president, was set to talk about MEA with soon‑to‑graduate aspiring educators at Grand Valley State University. Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly she was teaching from home with two small children and a husband working in health care. Had you presented to aspiring educators before? […]
When MEA member Ben Henri won this year’s Teachers Tournament on the long-running game show Jeopardy!, he returned home with something beyond the $100,000 in winnings. Henri found an extended support network in the educators he defeated for the grand prize. Of the 15 tournament competitors, 14 remained in touch months later – meeting virtually […]
