TAs a Science teacher, Michelle Overton implemented a hands-on approach to inspire her students to identify a problem and look to solve that problem by collaborating with their classmates. She designed her own curriculum to meet her state’s standards through several years of searching for the perfect mix of labs, videos, worksheets and online activities. Almost daily, they write in an interactive notebook where they identify vocabulary, pose a question and search for results.

Michelle strives to make her class fun and wants her kids to love to come school and know they are loved and safe, that they can make mistakes, but then build on those mistakes to make them better. They know she makes mistakes too and she admits to them, and they grow together.

Several times a year, she dresses as an “substitute teacher” in a character that corresponds with a standard. Her students love this and ask for the character to return again. She has been Miss Notrevo, her last name backwards for glow day where we made a glow in the dark slime. Miss Luna to teach about the moon phases and patterns. Miss Katera, the hippie mermaid to talk about the distribution of water on earth.