Each year, the Veterans of Foreign Wars selects elementary, middle, and high school teachers to participate in the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher program. This year, VFW Post 7319 nominated Middle School Teacher Mieke Slaba.

Mrs. Slaba began her teaching career at the Wagner Community School in January, 2003. She received her Bachelors Degree in Elementary/Special Education from Mount Marty College, Yankton, SD, in December 2002. She received her Master of Arts degree from the University of South Dakota in 2010. She currently teaches Communication Arts and Social Studies.

Mieke is also the Oral Interpretation Coach for the Wagner school. She has led her team to five Region Championships. She is also responsible for increasing the number of entries in the VFW Patriot’s Pen contest from two entries two years ago to 160 entries this year.

Amy Tyler wrote the letter nominating Mieke Slaba for the VFW Middle School Teacher of the Year Award. Prior to Amy moving out of the district, she was colleagues with Mieke for over fifteen years. In her letter, Amy stated that they both spent most of the day teaching ELA, while also teaching other subjects. Mrs. Slaba epitomizes a middle school teacher. She is energetic, builds rapport with her students and models life-long learning.

Mieke is a mother of four children ranging from 16-years-old to 4-years-old, but still has the energy to create exciting lessons, arrive early and stay late, and build lasting relationships with her students. She is the first to arrive, especially during Oral Interpretation season when she realizes that students need time after school for other activities. She is also the last to leave making sure that she is ready for the following day. It is not uncommon to see Mieke in the building on the weekends preparing for her students. The time commitment she puts forth teaching and coaching is second to none.

One of the things that I like most about Mieke is the rapport she builds with her students. She often has Coffee Round Table discussions in which she allows students to share their writing or thoughts. The students are engaged and feel safe enough to share. I have witnessed Mieke engaged in conversations with all students in the hallway before school. I think that students feel that Mrs. Slaba is a confidante and safe person to be their true selves. I can attest to this because my children had Mieke as a teacher and they both felt that Mrs. Slaba was a go-to teacher.

Being a teacher, I think it is important to model life-long learning. Along with Mrs. Slaba’s middle level degree, she also has a SPED and Reading Specialist degrees. She participated in the PDC program where she coached two young teachers entering the profession while working toward her master’s degree. Through that process, she created an exploratory class, Journalism, in which her students create the Wagner Middle School Newspaper every quarter. I think Mieke’s love of learning has benefited the students at Wagner Middle school and has inspired both students and staff to love learning.

The best compliment I can give a teacher is to want my own kids to be in his/her classroom. I wanted this for my children, and fortunately they were able to have the opportunity to witness Mrs. Slaba doing what she loves and allowing students a safe, creative space to become confident individuals.

Mrs. Slaba’s Philosophy: I pride myself in building relationships with my students and being a role model. I have high expectations of all young people whether that is in my classroom, my own children at home, (ages 16, 14, 10, and 4) or while coaching my Oral Interp students, (grade 8-12). My philosophy is to nurture student learning. To teach through hands-on and class involved activities.

Mieke is also involved in many community activities to include membership in the VFW Auxiliary, St. John’s Catholic Church Eucharistic Minister, St. John’s Catholic Church Choir, Catholic Daughters of America, Wagner Education Association and South Dakota Education Association.

Although Mrs. Slaba was not selected as the State Teacher of the Year Award winner, she is to becommended for her dedication to the students of the Wagner Community School in the past and hercommitment to those students in the future.