JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Rachel Miller has been teaching Kindergarten students at Mountain View Elementary for the past six years. She is the next in a long line of teachers in her family. Both her grandmothers, her mother and her aunt were in education, and now, it’s her turn to make her mark in school.
“One of my favorite things was getting to sit with my aunt and getting to hear her stories from the classroom and how she got to love on the students,” said Miller.
A family influence that has carried over to Rachel Miller. Now, she is passing on the love to her 17 Kindergarten students.
“We try to create a family where they have fun and want to learn and want to come to school,” she said.
Her commitment is seen inside her classroom every day; not only by teaching but setting an example for her young pupils and their families.
“She comes to work every day with excitement, as you can hear,” said Mountain View Elementary Principal Dr. Melissa Stukes. “She shows up for her students. Now she’s at the point where she’s having siblings of older students that she’s taught. Parents are excited to have her again because she is really sweet.”
Rachel Miller’s powerful influence goes beyond the Mountain View walls. She’s also a volunteer with LXI, adding support for older students in their middle school years.
“It’s a whole other world and a whole other ball game, but they [middle schoolers] still want to have those conversations with you, and they want the help and love that 5 and 6-year-olds need,” she said.
Young or older, Rachel Miller continues to have a positive impact on her students.
“That’s my thing, I want my classroom to be a place where kids can come and feel loved and feel safe and we’re a family.”
