Michelle Tine, Pre-K teacher at Clough
How long have you worked in the RCSD?
This is my 21st year in Rome, but I have been teaching in the Early Childhood field for over 30 years!
What do you like most about your job?
The best thing about my job is that I go to work and sing and dance, paint, build blocks, play with dolls, and do puzzles I can complete! I laugh and have fun all day with my children as they learn through play! They have no idea how much they are learning academically and social-emotionally, so when I hear them making connections to things we are learning about during their play, I know I have made a difference! My motto has always been: If they are having fun, they are learning! So, when I see the big smiles on my children’s faces, I know I have the best job!
What inspires you?
When I decided to be a teacher, I wanted to teach 1st grade. I thought Kindergarten was too young, and I wanted to teach children to read. My first teaching job was as a Head Start teacher. I was certain I would not like it because the children were 3 and 4! But I quickly realized this is where I belong! I have been in the Early Childhood field ever since, and I love everything about it! The children, the parents, the staff that I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from, and my family have been my inspiration throughout many beautiful years of teaching!
What is a fun fact about you?
I love to travel. I have been to 38 of our 50 beautiful states, as well as several different countries. My husband and I take our Harley on a long trip every summer. I ride in the back with him so I can enjoy the scenery! We have ridden through 32 states and four countries on a motorcycle. In the summer of 2022, we traveled across the country through 17 states. It was a 7,000-mile trip, and we took about a month visiting and taking in the sites! I also love to travel to Mexico and the Caribbean, where I have been fortunate enough to swim with whale sharks, stingrays, reef sharks, dolphins, and sea turtles. I took a tour of the Panama Canal, traveling through the locks with enormous container ships. And one time, I even jumped out of a perfect airplane!