Welcome Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Hubbard, New Kindergarten Teachers
Submitted by Alyssa Kiefer in RCS Highlights on May 29, 2019
Meet Mrs. Heather Miller of Redwood Christian Schools
Tell us about your family and how you all are looking forward to this new opportunity.
My husband, Jeff, and I have been married for over 20 years and together we have three daughters who attend RCS Middle and High School. Everyone in the house is ready for “Mom” to be back in the classroom doing something she loves.
What is a unique experience, talent or interest that you bring to your Bay Area Christian school classroom to help shape the learning experience of your students?
I enjoy learning and finding teachable moments in the details of life. Teaching is an avenue that allows me to grow with my students everyday, and I have experienced many sides of education (public, private, homeschool and parent volunteer) which give me a unique perspective.
Do you have any other hobbies/interests outside of teaching?
My family is my most important “hobby,” and I enjoy traveling, gardening, reading, and creating (spaces, projects, etc.).
What motivated you to become a teacher at Redwood Christian Schools?
Redwood seeks to educate the whole person and I love the freedom we have to discover God’s world and truth together.
How did God call you into teaching?
I knew early on in life I wanted to teach and I started volunteering in church and at Canyon Middle School in college. My first professional teaching job was at RCE after I graduated with a BA in Liberal Studies (and a minor in Sociology) from Cal State Hayward (East Bay) and then obtained my CA Multi-Subject Teaching Credential. After a few years, I resigned from teaching to focus on motherhood and follow my husband to Kentucky so he could earn his Masters of Divinity. We returned to California, and when my girls were all in elementary school, I returned to the classroom for Castro Valley Unified School District as a long-term and daily substitute. My last teaching opportunity has been homeschooling middle school for the past three years. I am ready to start school all over again in kindergarten!
Meet Mrs. Monica Hubbard of Redwood Christian Schools
Tell us about your family and how you all are looking forward to this new opportunity.
The 2019-2020 school year will bring significant changes to the Hubbard household. Three of us will have our first day of school on a Redwood campus. Elyse will attend Redwood for the first time in 4th grade and is hoping to make lots of new friends. Garrett will head off to the middle school campus to join his friends in 6th grade. Keegan is a Redwood veteran and will be an eighth-grader this year. My husband, Bryan, is a Redwood alumnus who attended from kindergarten until high school graduation. As for me, I am honored to step onto the elementary campus as a new kindergarten teacher. We are thrilled to be part of the Redwood Christian Schools family. It will be an exciting and eventful year!
What is a unique experience, talent, or interest that you bring to your classroom to help shape the learning experience of your students?
Kindergarten has my heart! I am thrilled with the opportunity to teach this age level again. I love to engage curious minds and watch eyes light up when a discovery is made. One of my greatest joys is watching students put their letter sounds together to make a word and then build on that skill to read a book for the first time. I plan to have a class where we can create, discover, and grow.
Do you have any other hobbies/interests outside of teaching?
Aside from teaching, I love to work with my hands. I enjoy painting furniture, decorating, and using a power tool here and there.
What motivated you to become a teacher at Redwood Christian Schools?
As my children have reached a more independent stage of life, I had more time to explore working outside of the house. Over the last two years, I’ve enjoyed working as a substitute teacher because it allowed the freedom to be with my kids when needed and to get back into teaching as a side job. During those days of subbing, my love for teaching was rekindled. Heather Miller and I have worked alongside each other for many years in our kids’ classrooms, VBS, and other projects. We both had a stirring from God to enter back to the teaching profession after taking an extended break from staying home raising our children. Both Heather and I are thrilled to team up together to share a kindergarten class at Redwood.
How did God call you into teaching at our private schools in the Bay Area?
Growing up, I always had an interest in teaching young children. At first, it was teaching a classroom of dolls, who, by the way, made the most attentive students. I spent many hours teaching Sunday School classes, weeks of volunteering in VBS, and years of working in youth group as a counselor. I attended Cal State Hayward and earned my B.A. in Liberal Studies and my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. I taught kindergarten and first grade for seven years before becoming a mom. I’m ready to get back in the classroom!
