MOLINE, Ill. — Through riffs and strums, Mikaela Simmons is not your typical music teacher.
Simmons teaches K-5 general music, choir, orchestra, band and -- new to the district this year -- rock band.
"It`s exciting when I see kids excited to get into the classroom and learn new things and they find things out on their own," said Simmons.
Rosalva Portillo is the principal at Lincoln-Irving Elementary School in Moline, just one of the many schools in the Moline-Coal Valley district that Simmons teaches at.
"She`s always looking for that out of the classroom experiences for them so that they can have something to just really keep them going and motivated to stay in school," said Portillo.
"Not only am I the K-5 general music teacher, I teach band, I teach orchestra, I have an after school lego league in the fall." said Simmons.
Besides teaching music, Simmons has a passion for the arts outside of music. She leads numerous extra-curriculars including a textiles club teaching kids to crochet, knit or cross-stitch as well as an after-school Lego league.
"In the Summer I do a STEAM camp with the teachers at Washington," Simmons said.
She somehow manages to do it all while bouncing back and forth between Willard Elementary School and Lincoln-Irving.
"Music and the arts is her passion," Portillo said. "You can see it inside the classroom and out. So I think that makes her deserving of this award."
Simmons is the lucky winner of this month's $200 Tools for Teachers contest, sponsored by Carpetland U.S.A.
"I'm just in shock right now I thought I was just going to lunch," said Simmons. "It will be put to very good use and it will be at two different buildings so it will go towards 600 students."
Combining all of her passions to make a big difference in a young life.
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