Jacy is a sixth grade English teacher at Lakewood Middle School. She has been teaching for 17 years and is in her second year at Lakewood. For as long as she can remember, she has wanted to be a teacher, a dream inspired by the great teachers she had growing up. Her favorite part of teaching is building relationships with students and watching them grow. She finds it most rewarding to see students discover their strengths and gain confidence. A fun fact about Jacy is that when she was five years old, her brother accidentally cut off her pointer finger. Coincidentally, her kindergarten teacher was also missing a pointer finger, and she knew then she was destined to be a teacher.
Damon is a sixth-grade English teacher at Lakewood Middle School. He has been in education for a total of 27 years, with 13 years spent at Heusner, 12 years at Meadowlark, and now in his second year at Lakewood. He chose to become a teacher because of his passion for helping others discover their strengths and grow in confidence. He was also inspired by incredible teachers who made learning exciting and meaningful. Damon saw firsthand how a teacher’s passion can leave a lasting impact, and he knew he wanted to do the same. For Damon, the most rewarding part of teaching is building meaningful connections with students and colleagues. He loves that the classroom can be a place filled with laughter and fun while still pushing everyone to keep learning and improving. Some fun facts about Damon are that he has been very involved in youth sports in the community, and he started a basketball club called World Class Sports that has been running strong for 25 years.
Noah is an art teacher at Lakewood Middle School. He has taught for eight years, with six of those being at Lakewood. He chose teaching because he feels content in art and wants to give students exposure to as many art processes as possible. His inspiration came from the many great art teachers growing up, including Larry Cullins and Nancy Williams. His favorite part about teaching is seeing students eager to learn and improve on different art mediums. A fun fact about Noah is that he is known as the teacher who rides motorcycles.
Jim is a special education teacher at Lakewood Middle School. He has been teaching for 13 years total with five of those being at Lakewood. He decided to pursue teaching after changing careers. His favorite part about teaching is watching kids make progress with their most difficult task. Some fun facts about him are that he has ten children that he is actively involved with and he has a small farm that he works on outside of school.
Sean is a seventh-grade science teacher at Lakewood Middle School. This is his second year of teaching. He chose to become a teacher because of the positive impact his teachers had on him while growing up. He said they made learning engaging, supportive, and meaningful, which inspired him to want to have that same positive influence on students in the classroom. His favorite part of teaching is building meaningful relationships with students and watching them grow not only academically, but also in their confidence and belief in themselves. A fun fact about him is that he is a huge Lakers fan and enjoys talking about basketball.
Katherine is a math teacher at Lakewood Middle School. This is her first year teaching. From a young age, Katherine has been drawn to teaching and has always felt it was her calling. Her favorite part of teaching is hearing her students’ stories, learning what they love, what matters to them, and who is important in their lives. A fun fact about Katherine is that she has visited five different countries.
Michele is an ESL teacher at Lakewood Middle School. She has been a teacher for 32 years. She has worked at Lakewood Middle for 14 of those years. Michele became a teacher because she loves learning and helping others reach their goals. Her favorite part of teaching is working in a school district with great students, families, and staff who help and support each other.
Some fun facts about Michele are that she likes gardening and spending time outside. She is also working hard to learn Spanish with help from her students.
Susan is an English and math teacher at Lakewood Middle School. She has been teaching for 29 years, with this year being her first at Lakewood Middle. Susan was drawn to teaching by the teachers she met growing up. She moved around a lot as a child, and she found that teachers were always a safe harbor in her life. Her favorite part of teaching is seeing students work hard for something and watching what they think is impossible become possible. A fun fact about Susan is that she has lived in 15 states.
Megan is an English teacher at Lakewood Middle School. She has been teaching for 20 years, all of them at Lakewood Middle. Megan was drawn to teaching because she grew up around children, as her mom was a daycare provider. Her older sisters, who are teachers, also inspired her to choose a career in teaching. Her favorite part of teaching is helping students stay curious and excited about learning while building their writing skills. A fun fact about Megan is that she threw out a ceremonial first pitch at a Kansas City Royals game during their championship season in 2015.
