Welcome! Akwaaba! Meet me, Mrs. Steele

I have always known that I wanted to spend my life as a teacher (as well as a tornado chaser and a pediatrician at one point). However, I know that I am in the right profession when every Monday morning I wake up excited to come to school.   I grew up outside of Traverse City, so I am incredibly excited and blessed to be living and teaching in a community that has given so much to me. Being a teacher has allowed me to explore, laugh, learn, cry, and do amazing things with kids and young adults.  I cannot wait to begin another fabulous year!

My Education
I graduated from Central Michigan University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a major in Science and Language Arts. 

My Teaching Career
This is my eighth year of teaching and my seventh year teaching at EMS (I taught one year at Blair Elementary).  I am incredibly blessed to be working in such a wonderful middle school, with incredible staff, students, and families. 

Prior to teaching at EMS, I participated in a two-part student teaching experience.  I student taught at Long Lake Elementary for 8 weeks, before traveling to Tema, Ghana (Africa) to student teach for another 10 weeks.  I lived in a SOS Children’s Village (an orphanage), while teaching science to 190 fourth and fifth graders in classrooms with more than 40 students.  This experience helped me become a more innovative teacher as I had to be flexible and creative when designing hands-on science lessons with very few materials and resources.  When I wasn't teaching, I was playing with the village children.  In those 8 weeks, I lived and breathed children and I was the happiest I have ever been in my life.  We played football (soccer), tag, learned Ghanaian games, taught each other cultural dances, and had many Q & A sessions learning about each other’s countries, beliefs, and feelings. 

A Little about Me 
When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Graydon, our daughter, Siella (5), our son, Sawyer (3), our son, Briggs (2 months) and our adopted black lab, Charlie, as well as with both of our families.  We had a spectacular summer filled with the joy and excitement that came from watching welcoming a new member to our family and watching our children interact with spectacular northern Michigan.

If you do not find me in the classroom, I am enjoying my time snuggling with my children.  It is an added bonus if I can get to 
do something outdoors.  This includes fishing, star gazing, hiking, camping, hunting, kayaking, running, playing sports, and watching U of M football.  I also enjoy photography, landscaping, reading, scrapbooking, traveling, and cooking. Lastly, I really enjoy the fall (Halloween too).

I have high expectations for my students and I will do all that I can to help them excel in 6th grade science.  I am looking forward to a very successful year and I know that you are too.  Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to work with your child this school year.