Miller Joins Sunset School Staff

GREENOUGH - Hali Miller is a new teacher at Sunset School in Greenough. Miller believes each student has the right to get the highest and best education possible.

Miller is from Sunburst, Mont., a small town seven miles south of the Canadian border.

She attended school at the College of Education at the University of Montana in Missoula, Mont. She graduates this December with her teaching certificate for kindergarten through eighth grade.

Miller's student teaching brought her to Greenough to teach. "I had been student teaching at Woodman School in Lolo [Montana] with Erin Lipkind, County Superintendent of Schools, as my supervisor," said Miller.

Miller was introduced to Sunset supervising teacher Toni Hatten by Lipkind. With the enrollment at Sunset increasing, Miller was requested by Hatten and decided to join the team November 2016.

At Sunset, Miller teaches math, English and language arts (ELA) to kindergarteners and science and social studies to three students (one each in third, fourth and eighth grade).

"Fortunately, my student teaching at Woodman School taught me how to differentiate instruction for different grade levels of students who may be in the same class," said Miller. "[At Sunset the students] share one classroom; therefore, I have been designing and facilitating learning activities to meet the needs of each student."

"Of course I love [my job] because of the kids," said Miller, "but what is really meaningful to me is to be able to look back at the course of only a few months and see the progress that my students have made."

Miller finds the kindergarten class especially rewarding. "Students come in barely able to write their name and then in a few months they are writing in their journals. It's really incredible to watch," she said.

Patience and flexibility is how Miller prepares for any situation in her classes. "Teaching is one of those professions that make one unsure of what cards are going to be dealt that day," said Miller.

In comparison to larger schools, Miller has noticed a difference in classroom management. "It is a lot different trying to wrangle in five to 10 students versus classrooms of 20-25."

Miller finds it easier to be flexible with fewer students. "Also, having [fewer] students gives the opportunity to spend more time on the subject areas that are more challenging," she added.

In her off time Miller likes exploring new places and spending time with friends as well as sports and crafting.

Miller hopes for a mild winter for traveling to and from school. "I currently live in Missoula, so I have joined the band of commuters," she said.

Her family and support system include fiancé Cameron Richmond and Shadow, a three-year-old Collie/Lab.

Miller has enjoyed getting to know the students and said, "I am so grateful and excited to get to know Greenough and the surrounding area."