Middleton High School alum Lauren Cliff graduated from Edgewood University this spring with a major in elementary education, and this fall she will teach at Kromrey Middle School.
“I’ve always known I wanted to be a teacher,” Cliff said. “Growing up, my grandma was a teacher, so the classroom was always a big part of my life. Ever since kindergarten, I’ve had a feeling that I’d end up back in a classroom but this time as the teacher.”
Cliff was among 80 new teachers and staff that MCPASD welcomed during the New Education Induction event at Kromrey Middle School this week.
As a child, Cliff attended Elm Lawn Elementary School, where third-grade teacher Rachael Friedland was “a huge inspiration.”
“After having her as a teacher, she became my sister’s and my nanny, and each August we would help her set up her classroom,” Cliff said. “It was always the highlight of my summer and really got me excited about the idea of becoming a teacher myself!”
Cliff said she wanted to teach in MCPASD because of the people who shaped her education and childhood.
“As a student, I always felt supported by my teachers, and that really stuck with me,” Cliff said. “Now I want to give that same support back to students in this community.”
A former Kromrey Middle School student herself, Cliff will teach fifth graders there this year.
“I’m excited to teach middle school because of the energy students bring,” she said. “At Kromrey, fifth grade has its own little island – a unique mix of elementary and middle school that makes it a special and exciting time.”
She said she’s most excited to get to know her students: “They’re the ‘why’ behind everything I do as a teacher!”
Check out a short video of Cliff setting up her classroom and her Amazon wishlist for those interested in supporting her work.
Photo captions: Cliff with fellow first-year teachers Dayla Rauch (Glacier Creek Middle School) and Callie Meyer (Sauk Trail Elementary School); Cliff as an Elm Lawn Elementary School student with Friedland.