Michelle Stratton's Teacher Feature

Michelle Stratton is an 8th grade English teacher, and also teaches the 8th and 9th elective of Creative Writing. She's lived in Park City for going on 14 years after she moved to go to the University of Utah, and has been teaching for 11 of these years. Previously, though, she grew up in Long Beach CA. and Wisconsin. She's always wanted to be a professional writer, and currently has 3 novels in the works; she also writes songs, plays guitar and sings in a band.

Ms. Stratton has a 16-year-old son at Park City High. She describes him as "the most important person in [her] world." She also has five younger siblings, who affect her life in a great way as friends and supporters during tough times. Music is also practically a tradition for her and her loved ones. Both she and her son play guitar in their own bands. She writes in a songwriting circle, with whom she gets together with a few times a month to share music, collaborate, practice and perfect skills. Ms. Stratton has made some great friends through playing music, and says it's "a really cool thing to bond with other people through music."

Ms. Stratton is the kind of teacher that supports all of her students. She knows what it's like for the 8th graders coming to a brand new school, as the same thing happened to her when she was in 8th grade. She's always proud of them when they accomplish anything – from raising their Galileo score to writing a 74,000-word novel in a month ("What is that, like 200 or more pages?"). She says her Creative Writing class has a more relaxed atmosphere, as it's an elective full of kids who are passionate about writing and want to be in there. According to her, students that are enthusiastic make the day fun for her; and even though some students don't like literature as much, she loves them all the same.

In the summer, Ms. Stratton say she'll most likely be moving to a new home in Kamas. "It's quieter, there is a little creek that runs through my new backyard, and it feels more like a small town, which is important to me. Best of all, it allows me to still be close to work and all of the other Park City things, places and people I enjoy." Ms. Stratton is looking forward to her new move, and while she isn't sure what the next year is going to bring, her students will always love their English (and Creative Writing) teacher.

"The greatest experiences come when students learn from their mistakes and move on to climb mountains! It's why I get out of bed and come to work each morning." - Michelle Stratton, 2016.