Michaella Croskey

*An Aspiring Ms Frizzle*
Michaella was raised here in Bozeman, graduating from BHS and then MSU with a degree in Elementary Education. After coaching competitive gymnastics for 8 years, she transitioned to life coaching around health and personal development. Upon graduating with a degree in Elementary Education, she began teaching in the Big Sky School District as a 5th grade teacher and then taught 4th Grade at Anderson. Additionally, Michaella served as the *Director of Strategic Communications & Events* at Big Brothers Big Sisters, learning the inner workings of a nonprofit organization. She is currently working to become certified in the Orton-Gillingham method to ensure all of her students benefit from multi-sensory learning strategies.

Hi! I’m Michaella.

After teaching in various local schools for 5+years, I found myself at a crossroads. I was more in love with teaching than ever, but I was also deeply frustrated. We know what’s best for students, yet we struggle to deliver ‘best practice’ due to limitations in the system. Even the best local private schools function similarly to public schools: 20-30 students per class, 50 minutes per subject, a different teacher every 8 months, rare opportunities to learn outside classroom walls, prescribed curriculums, over-testing, social issues… the list goes on.

I founded Opt Out in 2020 because I knew I could provide students with a superior experience at an age it matters most. (Read about our first year here).

Curious about my resume? Check references here.

Parent-to-Parent

“I have found Mrs. Croskey to be very intuitive to the needs of each student in her classroom. She genuinely cares about each child and is able to tailor her approach to draw out their strengths for academic and social success. Building students’ executive functioning skills of task initiation, organization, planning and prioritization and self-regulation to maximize independence, is a hallmark of her teaching.

Her students become critical thinkers that can tackle any academic or social problem from multiple angles. They take these abilities with them to the next grade and beyond.”

— Lori Swenson

“Michaella displays a passion for learning, has high expectations for student achievement and a strong commitment to helping all students develop academically, socially and emotionally. Her ability to empathize with students who struggle with learning or social issues is highly developed.

One of her many strengths is her ability to recognize and adapt for individual differences; her planning and assessments reflect this. She is very comfortable addressing issues with students, in a positive manner, in order to seek solutions, and follows through in a consistent and effective manner. ”

— Sandy Wilson, Bozeman School Board Chair

“As a parent of one of Mrs. Croskey’s former students, I was so pleased with her kindness and dedication towards her students. Mrs. Croskey understands the necessity of building relationships with students and providing a safe space for them to learn. My daughter really struggles with Math, but with Mrs. Croskey’s help, she showed great improvement and a major boost in confidence.

While chaperoning on a field trip with Mrs. Croskey’s class, I got to witness her ability to organize and choreograph an amazing learning experience in Yellowstone National Park. The kids had a wonderful time, and everyone on the trip learned more than they knew when they first arrived.

I highly recommend Mrs. Croskey as an educator. It is so encouraging to see an educator who is excited about learning, and shares that enthusiasm with her students.”

— Leslie K. Ruane

Inspiration

Ms. Frizzle of *The Magic School Bus,* circa 1994

As a 90’s kid, I owe a decent amount of Science Ed credit to the fictional Ms. Frizzle and her Magic School Bus. After teaching in the public school system for 5 years, I found the creators of the show were on to something. Ms Frizzle’s class enjoyed an 8:1 teacher student ratio, a consistent and invested teacher for several consecutive years, and plenty of memorable out-of-the-classroom experiences, all of which are pedagogically sound / considered ‘best practice’.

So, I hunted down a 12 passenger 4x4 van and off we went! It truly has been magical.

Expedition Yellowstone teaches students about the “natural and cultural history of Yellowstone National Park, investigates current issues affecting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and promotes stewardship and preservation in the park and in home communities. Emphasis is on learning through direct experience in the outdoors”. After witnessing a seasoned teacher create a beloved learning tradition around this program in the Big Sky School District, I took my class of 26 students to Yellowstone in 2018 & 2019. It was clear - students benefitted more from this experience than anything I could provide inside classroom walls.

I feel truly blessed to have been raised in Bozeman, attending Monforton School K-8. The faculty worked hard to provide students with unique experiences such as overnight trips to Crystal Park, historical Lewis & Clark sites, indigenous ceremonies, backpacking trips in YNP and a student -funded exploration of Washington D.C. I cite my former teachers as a bedrock of inspiration for Opt Out.

Stacey Morgenstern, Carey Peters - HCI Founders

Carey Peters & Stacey Morgenstern made it possible for me to seek a Life & Health Coaching certification while teaching full time. Their work building the Health Coach Institute and creating programs dedicated to teaching habit change inspires me both as a leader and an educator. Through coaching and being coached, my life has changed for the better a little at a time. Life Coaching is defined as ‘a designed alliance between coach and client where the coaching relationship continually gives all the power back to you, the client’. The same can be said for my mindset within the classroom. Students are treated as the incredibly capable beings they are and supported in reaching goals through support & accountability.

Essentially, I grew up at Lone Mountain Gymnastics - first training as a competitive gymnast and eventually coaching. While on the job, I discovered a talent for connecting with kids and developing trusting relationships within a team. Some of the gymnasts I coached long-term are now graduating college and I love watching them grow from silly, fun-loving youngsters into confident, capable women. After arriving to the classroom, I felt an important element was missing. Instead of maintaining meaningful relationships year to year and having opportunities to support kids through tough transitions, teachers are asked to form relationships quickly, and only for the 8 months students are in their classroom. That’s simply not enough time to really invest in a student’s success, and it’s something Opt Out is designed to address.

Fresh out of college, I devoured all of award-winning educator Rafe Esquith’s books and wondered why none of my professors had mentioned him. Check out his resume! Rafe is all about high expectations, individualism, instilling a love of reading, the importance of life skills, exposure to art, and doing whatever it takes to provide students with real-world experiences. Despite his unorthodox approach to many subject areas, his students all perform wonderfully on standardized tests. He does not teach to the test, but so far beyond it that students from the toughest of backgrounds are equipped to succeed academically and in life. I aspire to follow in the footsteps of this veteran educator.