“I’ve been in the classroom my whole life. My mom has been teaching for 35 years, and before I was even in school, I was sitting in the back of her classroom, watching her teach. I walked through the halls like I owned the place—I felt at home in school.”
Despite her early love for learning, Alyssa Morley, a fourth-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary in Sault Ste. Marie, never imagined she would follow in her mother’s footsteps. But when an unexpected opportunity arose, she took a leap of faith.
“I always knew I wanted to work with kids, but I told myself I wasn’t going to be a teacher. I thought maybe I’d go into speech pathology—anything but teaching. But somehow, I ended up exactly where my mom is.”
Her perspective started shifting in high school when she worked as a teacher cadet in a first-grade classroom.
“My mentor teacher, Kathy Jennings, was incredible. She let me take real responsibility in the classroom. By the end of the year, if there was a substitute, I was the one running the class. It helped me build my confidence.”
She went on to study education at Lake Superior State University, staying close to home. But her senior year of college took an unexpected turn.
“In the middle of the school year, we found out a fourth-grade teacher was leaving. I remember thinking, ’That’s crazy. I wish this was happening next year because then I’d be ready.’”
Her mom mentioned the opening to her.
“My mom said, ‘Remember when you were worried about getting a job? Carl wants to know if you’d be interested.’ And I just thought, ‘Are you serious right now?’ In two weeks, I went from student teacher to full-time teacher. Over Thanksgiving break, I had four days to tear down an entire classroom and make it my own.”
The class needed a lot of support. But the biggest challenge wasn’t the classroom–it was rebuilding trust.
One student, in particular, stood out who had completely shut down in school.
“Before I got there, he had no confidence and didn’t feel comfortable trying. I knew I had to find a way to reach him.”
Alyssa and Mrs. Kroeger, another TeachMichigan educator, worked together to make small adjustments that helped him feel successful.
“We made modifications, broke things down into steps, and built up his confidence. By the end of the year… he was reading out loud in class. He was participating. He grew over 20 points in math, reading, and science on his NWEA test. And in May, he was our Student of the Month.”
She still thinks about him, even though he’s in middle school now.
“I think about him a lot. I miss him. But I know he’s capable of amazing things.”
Alyssa is part of TeachMichigan’s Upper Peninsula region, teaching fourth grade at Lincoln Elementary in Sault Ste. Marie. She is also a recipient of the TeachMichigan Innovation Grant, which has allowed her to bring coding and robotics into her classroom.
“Through TeachMichigan, I’ve been able to push myself to try things I never would have considered—like coding. Now, my students are working with $10,000 worth of robots, troubleshooting code, and thinking like engineers.”
Carl, the principal of Lincoln Elementary, has seen firsthand how Alyssa has transformed her classroom and inspired her students.
“Ms. Morley is an amazing young educator and a wonderful addition to our fourth-grade team. She is hardworking and a wonderful relationship builder. Alyssa is constantly working to make her students better. Alyssa Morley works hard to ensure that Lincoln Elementary is truly a great place to learn.”
Stepping into the classroom mid-year was a challenge, but pushing herself outside her comfort zone didn’t stop there. When she heard about the TeachMichigan Innovation Grant, she hesitated at first—applying for a grant was something she had never done before. But she took a chance, and it paid off.
“I had never written a grant before. But I applied, and now my classroom has $10,000 worth of robots, and my students are learning to code.”
Her hands-on computer science program teaches students:
- Coding through Sphero and MicroBit robots.
- Problem-solving and teamwork through computational thinking.
- Real-world applications of STEM education.
“At first, they hated it. They didn’t want to struggle. But I told them—‘Figure it out.’ And now, they troubleshoot together, problem-solve, and even figure out how to break the system.”
She never expected to love computer science.
“They threw me into a coding PD, and I was hesitant. I didn’t want to go. And then… I loved it. It made me realize how much this could change the way students think.”
Between teaching, coding, playing piccolo and flute in a community band, and starting grad school, Alyssa keeps pushing herself to grow.“I thought, ‘I have no kids, no boyfriend—might as well do grad school now!’ I didn’t want to take a break and then struggle to get back into it.”
She’s now pursuing a Reading Specialist MA through the Grow Your Own program, fully funded through Michigan’s initiative to support educators.
Her advice to new teachers?
“Go easy on yourself. It’s the most rewarding job, but also the hardest. There will be bad days. Push through them. Because the good days? They mean everything.”
About Alyssa Morley
Alyssa Morley teaches fourth grade at Lincoln Elementary in the Upper Peninsula region. She is a proud participant in the Early Career Educator Fellowship through TeachMichigan, where she continues to refine her teaching practices, build professional connections, and support the next generation of educators. Alyssa is also a recipient of the TeachMichigan Innovation Grant, which has helped her bring coding and robotics into her classroom, empowering students to develop problem-solving skills through technology.
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