Meet Special Education Teacher Michelle Schmitt!
- Name: Michelle Schmitt
- Where are you from and where did you grow up? I grew up in Britton SD and currently live in Redfield.
- Describe your high school experience: I was very involved in everything in high school-basketball, cheer, band, flag corp and marching band, track, drama, 4-H, and played multiple softball teams and showed horses in the summer. I graduated as 1 of 4 Valedictorians in my class of about 45 students.
- From where did you graduate college and with what degree(s)? Northern State University Elementary Education, I’m currently working on my masters at Black Hills State University
- What do you teach/coach/lead at Northwestern? 7-12 Special Education
- How long have you been here? First year
- When did you realize you wanted to become a teacher? I have always liked to learn and enjoyed school. I loved to play “school” as a child. I didn’t go directly into teaching right out of college. I was really pulled back to education when I realized I wasn’t feeling fulfilled in my career. I went back to coaching and working in a school and realized this is where I should have always been.
- What is rewarding about your job? Getting to work one to one with kids and helping students succeed.
- If you could have any other job, what would it be? Book editor- I love to read and am a grammar nerd.
- Who is your biggest role model? My Grandmas- both worked and raised a family; they were strong women and helped raise strong women.
- What are your hobbies? Reading, crafting, watching high school sports
- Where do you see yourself in ten years? Teaching at Northwestern and having finally completed my masters.
- If you could live anywhere else, where? I think I’d like to live in the Black Hills.
- What type of music do you listen to? I listen to a little bit of everything. However, my favorite is a pop/rock mix from the 1990’s. Green Day, Sheryl Crowe and George Strait are my favorites.
- What food is like a guilty pleasure to you? Lays Cheddar and Sour Cream Chips
- Last book you read? Sped Law… I haven’t had time to read lately!
- Who would play the lead in a movie about your life? Melissa McCarthy with Ariel Winter playing a younger me.
- What super power do you wish you had? Teleportation. I try to do too much in too little of time and need to get places quickly.
- Biggest pet peeve? Not willing to try/Apathy- you never know what you can do if you don’t attempt.
- What advice do you have for the students of Northwestern? Try new things. Use this time to spread your wings. It is OK to fail, but don’t quit. You often learn more from failure than constant success. “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill.