Keeping all her crayons in the same box

Michael retires after 36 years

     Thirty-six and a half years at the same school, in the same building and in the same classroom is unheard of in today’s educational arena.
    Deidre Michael, kindergarten teacher, fits this description. After three decades, however, change is going to occur in several ways. First, the district is expanding to an all-day kindergarten. Second, the district is moving all of the kindergartners from the “little building” to new classrooms at the elementary school. Finally, and most importantly, Michael is leaving.
    “I really worked hard to get the bond issue passed so we could have all-day kindergarten, but then I felt like this was a good time for me to bow out and let someone else take it over. I knew even if I stayed for next year I would only stay that year, or maybe two more years. I thought it would be nice to let someone else set up the room and have the program established the way they wanted to,” she said.
    Thirty-six years ago, Michael had that same opportunity.
    “I student taught at Silver Lake and graduated in the middle of the year. There was an opening for a position, and I took advantage of it. I began teaching in January 1972 in the same room that I am in now, which is the same room I student taught in during the fall semester.

    “I student taught here, and I have been here all my years. It has been a great place to work. The co-workers that I have had became some of my best friends. The parents that I have had have been very supportive and cooperative. The kids are great. I think we are really blessed in Silver Lake to have a nice mix of kids,” Michael explained.
    Beth Lindstrom, kindergarten teacher, will miss her company.
    “I am very sad for our school district. She will be missed tremendously, but I am so happy for her. What a great accomplishment and legacy. She is one of a kind, and I am so happy to have had the chance to work with her and learn from her,” Lindstrom explained.
    Teaching kindergarten can be a lot of work. Michael said she has to be on her toes and prepared for whatever may occur. She has had to expect the worst and hope for the best. She said to teach kindergarten, she has to spend a lot of time planning, but her favorite part has been teaching children of kids she has already taught.
    Michael has impacted a lot of people, including her daughter’s class.
    “Looking back, the year I taught my daughter and her friends was probably the most memorable. I had her in my class because I was the only kindergarten teacher that year.
    “Every day, every class with kids this age is an adventure. You never quite know what they are going to say or do. When we were getting ready to read one time, a little boy told us that he was able to read without looking at the pages. In other words, he had it memorized.
    “I have heard some humorous stories from home. I know the parents would be so embarrassed if they knew the child was telling us that. I always tell parents, ‘I won’t believe everything I hear about what happened at home, if you don’t believe everything you hear that happened at school,’” she explained.
    Even though she keeps up with as many students as she can to see their progress, she said it’s hard to keep up with everyone. Her students, however, don’t forget her. 

     Karlee Brunner, current sophomore, remembers her kindergarten year with Michael.
    “The thing I miss most about Mrs. Michael’s class is getting the chance to take the surprise box home and be on her bulletin board as ‘The Apple of my Eye,’” she said.
    Michael explained the reason she stayed in teaching so long was because every day was different.
    “I liked it every day. I looked forward to coming to school because every day was different. If you had a not so good day before, it is just in the past and you go on from there. Every time students come in, they are so excited and want to know what they are going to do. That kind of rubs off on you and gives you a positive attitude.
    “There has been a big change of what we expect from the children academic wise. In the ‘70s, kindergarten was more of a social time. There was more playing, and the academics were not stressed. If they left kindergarten being able to say the alphabet, we were happy. Now they leave and they are able to read books.
    “Then, we were also excited if they could write their numbers from one to 10. Now we are teaching them to add and subtract,” she explained.
    Lindstrom said Michael is very good at remaining calm under stress and always has a positive attitude, just like the children.
    “She was always such a professional. She remains calm no matter how crazy it can sometimes get. I will miss her refreshing outlook on each day and her openness to all the possibilities in our profession,” Lindstrom said.
    After retiring, Michael plans on resting. She has a few projects around the house and in the yard. She said she also wants to travel some, but she doesn’t have major plans regarding that yet.
    Even though she may be done teaching, she isn’t done offering advice. She left some advice for her successor.
    “Enjoy. I really envy them, getting to have a new room, and being able to have a smaller group of kids for a whole day. They are going to really make some changes, but I think they will be good changes,” she said.
    Staying away from school isn’t on her mind.
    “It will be hard to keep me out once the new addition is finished. I’ll be as curious as anyone else to see what it is like and how it’s going,” she concluded.

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