Michele Hewlett is a first grade resource teacher at Robertsdale Elementary School.

“I am a special education teach and have been a special education teacher for the past 11 years,” Hewlett says. “I absolutely love being a teacher and take great pride in what I do. I believe teaching is a calling like other professions in the human services field.”

In her 11 years of teaching, Hewlett has taught children from birth to 14 years old having exceptionalities.

“I have experience teaching children in all areas of exceptionality, recognized under the Alabama Administrative Code,” she says. “I currently teach first grade students in the areas of reading, math and social skills.”

Hewlett has previously taught in Montgomery and Mobile counties as well as in Louisiana and Georgia.

“I’ve enjoyed teaching in so many different places,” Hewlett says. “I feel it has helped me grow as a professional and learn different styles and philosophies of effective teaching.”

She decided to become a teacher of students with exceptionalities because Hewlett wanted to make a difference in the world.

“In school, I remember the students who learned differently and who had different needs academically and socially,” she says. “I remember thinking those children needed friends and someone to help them and play with them. I volunteered at Camp Smile and decided I wanted to teach individuals with learning and behavioral disabilities.”

Hewlett enjoys reading the most.

“I love to see the light bulb come on when a child starts to put words together and understand the meaning from those words. Then when they are able to read a sentence and a passage and demonstrate understanding of what they have read; it’s almost as if their whole world has changed and they have this new understanding of the world around them. For me, there is no other feeling quite like it.”

TEACHER: Michele Hewlett

SCHOOL: Robertsdale Elementary School

SUBJECTS TAUGHT: First grade resource

SOMETHING UNUSUAL ABOUT YOURSELF: I have recently decided to go to school to become a school administrator. I would like to one day teach adults how to become great teachers.