Meet CRLP teacher leader Melissa Kruse
Melissa is the 2024-2025 National District Teacher of the Year and serves as a lead primary educator at Lincoln Acres Elementary School. As a supportive wife and mother of two school aged children and daughter of an educator, Melissa has first hand experience with building strong family and school connections.
In the book, Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators by Elena Aguilar she states, relationships teachers have with their students is essential and there is research indicating knowing your students contributes to resilience. This is why for sixteen years and counting, Melissa builds strong positive relationships. Melissa is intentional about checking in with her students first thing in the morning and throughout the day. While they sit together in a circle on the rug everyone can share something, whether it is good or bad. If there is a conflict Melissa stays neutral by saying, “Can you tell me what happened? “How are you doing?” rather than, “Why did you do that!?” Melissa aims to keep things as calm as possible so she utilizes breathing activities and soothing music to reset the energy in the classroom. With altruism and joy Melissa consistently does what is in the best interest of her kids. She is a rock for all of her students.
Melissa joined the California Reading and Literature Project teacher leader invitational about sixteen years ago. Debbie Costa, the former CRLP State Executive Director, saw her teach a dynamic literacy lesson and invited her to join the collaborative learning group. This professional learning community was a good fit for Melissa as she is an inquisitive and studious leader.
Most importantly Melissa says, “The Onward book club really got me! I think I was in the group for two or three years. It helped me not just become a better educator, but be more self aware. I needed my book club family to get me through a difficult time at my school. I feel like a lot of things that we discussed in the book club became part of my tool belt. I frequently use those workbook exercises and I’ll recommend them to people or pull them out during school site professional development.”
Melissa voiced, in the CRLP, we can talk to so many people that we might not cross paths with otherwise. Everyone is willing to take a risk to grow personally and professionally. All the members of the CRLP elevate her professional skills as well as her outlook on teaching. One of Melissa’s favorite quotes is from Dr. Maya Angelou “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you do, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Thank you Melissa for helping our students feel lovable and capable.
We celebrate Melissa Kruse, an extraordinary educator, presenter trainee for RESULTS and curator of positive relationships.