By Crystal Hayduk
When Dawn Miller and her family moved to Chelsea in 2013, she worried about her shy daughter starting first grade in a new school.
Changing schools only one year after the transition of kindergarten meant that little Elise would endure meeting new friends and a new teacher in addition to losing the home she had previously known in Metamora.
But thanks to first grade teacher Jennifer Tracht, Miller says, “I could not have imagined an easier transition. Jen is an amazing teacher who has her heart in the right place.”
Tracht is in her seventh year of teaching at North Creek Elementary School. She grew up in Chelsea and went on to obtain a business degree from Albion College. “I was a banker for nearly 15 years, and lived in the Detroit area for a while before my children were old enough to attend school,” Tracht says.
But her strong Chelsea roots pulled her back to the area so that her children could experience growing up in this “positive, supportive community,” just like she had.
As time went on, Tracht experienced school through the eyes of her children and became interested in pursuing a second career. “I decided to do something with more impact in the world, so I went back to school to become a teacher.”
Tracht attended the second degree program at Eastern Michigan University and graduated after two years of additional education. She officially traded in her business suits and higher salary for the joy of helping children to feel safe and love learning.
Now one of Tracht’s favorite aspects of teaching is helping young children develop a desire to learn new things and to make learning fun at the same time. “I want the children to be happy to come to school every day,” Tracht says. “If they enjoy it, they’ll be more motivated.”
Tracht hopes that her students will develop “confidence that they can grow as learners and also to love writing. The growth in first grade is amazing. Most children come in barely reading, but they leave reading and writing.”
Miller has seen Tracht’s philosophies in practice with her daughter firsthand. One of the ways in which Tracht helped Elise to overcome her shyness was to permit her to share her show-and-tell with written notes, which allowed her to get comfortable speaking in front of others.
“By the end of the year, Elise never used a paper to present her show-and-tell,” Miller says. Tracht also sent Elise stories for her to finish in pen-pal manner over the summer following first grade.
North Creek Principal Marcus Kaemming says that Tracht has shown growth as a teacher every year since she’s been teaching with an emphasis on her students’ needs. “Jennifer is supportive of their learning plans and works very hard to communicate with their families,” he says. “These foundations will support the students for years to come. She has a jump-in attitude and supports the entire building initiatives. While she is a wonderful asset to her students, she is a major contributor to the school district.”
Curious kids ask Mrs. Tracht.
Q: How do you pronounce your name?
A: It sounds like trot, and rhymes with yacht.
Q: What is your favorite color?
A: Blue.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: I love any kind of cheese.
Q: What is your favorite animal?
A: Monkeys.
Q: What are three things you would like to tell us about yourself?
A: I enjoy sports, and have played basketball and softball. Health and fitness are very important to me. I believe that staying active and eating healthy improves concentration.
