OCPS Intervention Teacher Sees Challenges As Opportunities
By Samantha Weiss
When Kathy Achinger Miller retires on May 31, she will take ten years of fond memories with OCPS students with her.
“I love to see it when the ‘light bulb’ turns on and my students are excited to understand something new,” said Miller. “I will miss seeing that!”
Miller’s interest in becoming an educator came from her own experience attending private and public schools while growing up, but she always felt she could make the most impact on students in a public school setting.
She was born in Syracuse, New York, before moving to Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, when she was 8. At age 12, she and her family relocated to Florida
Miller earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Florida State University and went on to earn a master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Central Florida.
She worked as a teacher in several places – including Osceola County, a Catholic school in Michigan, and as a substitute teacher in Illinois – before joining OCPS in August 2013 as a first-grade teacher at Westbrooke Elementary School in Ocoee.
The following year, she began teaching at Spring Lake Elementary School, where she taught second, third, and fifth grade for seven years.
It was during the last two years of her career when she landed her dream job as a Tier l Intervention teacher.
“That is the job I always wanted to do,” said Miller, who has three children who attend OCPS schools. “It has been a pleasure to teach students in small groups and really help students to grow.”
Some of the ways Miller helps her students be successful is by creating a positive, warm environment for them to learn. She also encourages her students to help each other and to be kind.
“I also have high expectations for my students’ learning and I hold them accountable for their work,” said Miller. “I am able to speak a good amount of Spanish and that has helped me to communicate with my students and parents.”
One of her most inspiring moments came when she was teaching fifth grade and got to meet Dr. Okhee Lee, the founder of the PSELL program, which stands for Promoting Science for English Language Learners. OCPS was using PSELL at the time to teach science and Miller’s students loved being involved with the experiments and lessons.
Miller has many cherished memories of working for the school district over the years, but her favorites include the many different administrators and teachers she worked with, as well as preparing for “Rock Your School” days and taking students on field trips.
One memory she will never forget was the challenge of teaching students online when the COVID pandemic happened and during the next school year when she had to balance in-person and online instruction.
Fortunately, Miller said some of her students’ parents helped her as she learned to use Big Blue Button and Microsoft Teams.
“It was tough, but I appreciate the opportunities to learn new ways to teach and engage my students,” said Miller.
After retiring, Miller and her husband plan on traveling to new places. She said she’s also looking forward to learning how to sew, growing new plants, and “improve my pickleball skills.”