When students walk into Heather Miller’s first- and second-grade classroom at Hillsdale Academy, they are immediately confronted with a dazzling display of color and light. The room is bright, inviting, and filled to the brim with student artwork, books, and educational tools of all shapes and sizes.
“My case is a little odd,” said Miller, who’s starting her first year as a teacher at the academy. “I started out teaching 12th-grade Advanced Placement Government in Colorado, and now I’m at the first- and second-grade level.”
Miller is one of two new teachers at the academy this fall, filling the shoes of recently-retired Carin Harner. Joining her as a member of the full-time staff is Carie Brown, who’s stepping into the position of kindergarten teacher after having worked part-time as an elementary-level math teacher at the academy for eight years.
A native of Hillsdale, Miller is an alumna of both the academy and the college. After graduating from the latter in 2015 with a history degree, she moved to Colorado to teach at the Vanguard School, a public charter school that bears many similarities to the academy.
With just two years of teaching under her belt, Miller said she doesn’t prefer teaching one age group over another.
“[First and second grade] is an exciting age, and there’s lots of development happening in terms of reading and math,” she said, smiling. “It’s wonderful to be a part of that.”
Miller said she is thrilled to be back home in Hillsdale. She credited her passion for children and her mentors, particularly Harner, with her smooth transition into teaching at the academy. Looking around her room, she lauded the academy and its mission.
“In the world of education, a home run is when you get to work for a school and administration that you believe in,” Miller said. “I witnessed that as a student here, and it is wonderful to serve a school that has given me so much.”
Just next door to Miller is Brown, whose classroom, like her neighbor’s, swims with color and energy. Portraits of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington line the walls, and toys and games rest on shelves.
Brown, who graduated from Hillsdale High School and then earned her degree from Pensacola Christian College, is a familiar face around the academy. She has served on and off at the academy since 1999, occupying both part-time and substitute roles.
“I took a few years off to raise my kids, but it feels very good to be back at the academy,” Brown said. “I really enjoy working with children, and teaching seemed like the natural fit when I was trying to figure out what to do with myself.”
For Brown, the most important thing about her job is instilling in young people a love of learning and a sense of pride in their abilities.
“It is very fulfilling to see a kid understand that they can actually do something, such as when they read for the first time,” Brown said. “I would like for all of my students to love coming to school, not dread it.”
Kenneth Calvert, the academy’s headmaster, spoke warmly of the school’s new teachers.
“Both bring a high level of intelligence, both have a long history with the academy and know its mission very well, and both have a love for young people and want to help raise them up well,” he said. “We hired the best people.”
Calvert, who will be stepping down after 15 years in charge of the academy to teach at the college full-time, said he is very optimistic about the future of the academy and its capacity to continue fulfilling its mission of providing young people with a high-quality liberal arts education.
“These are exciting changes, but we will be continuing our strengths,” Calvert said. “The education students get here teaches them how to be flexible and use their minds in rational ways. It helps them to become more human and more profound as a thinker.”
No matter where students end up after graduation, Calvert said, the academy has planted the seeds of a good education.
“You couldn’t ask for a better school to be at,” Brown said.