x
Breaking News
More () »

Teacher of the Week transforms classroom into jungle

It’s clear when you see her classroom decorations just how dedicated our next Teacher of the Week is. It was an emotional surprise at Saranac Elementary School.

SARANAC, Mich. — It’s clear when you see her classroom decorations just how dedicated our next Teacher of the Week is. She had an emotional reaction when we stopped by Saranac Elementary for the surprise.

“I am totally shocked and amazed. I do what I do every day because I just love it so much and you just don’t ever expect for this kind of thing to happen,” said Saranac Elementary School teacher Renee Brogger.

The principal, Mike Catrell, said he is “overwhelmed with how much joy she has every day. So, she is very deserving of this recognition.”

Brogger has been teaching for 33 years and has spent the last 20 working with young fives.

“I love the excitement. Every day we have just fun learning. Everything is new to them,” said Brogger.

She told 13 ON YOUR SIDE she’s known her career path since she was only slightly older than her students.

“I actually knew since second grade that I wanted to be teacher.”

Catrell said he believes that, “Getting Mrs. Brogger to start your school career is the best way to start. I mean, she gets those kids excited to learn reading and when they go into kindergarten next year, they’re ready to go.”

“To just see that sparkle in their eye just is the best thing in the world,” said Brogger.

She pulls out all the stops to spark their imaginations, saying, “Kids love animals and so I always try to think of something to bring them in to make the learning fun and so I thought, well, why not turn our room into a jungle.”

She also said, “It’s very cool to be recognized for doing something that you love to do.”

If you have someone you’d like to nominate as our next Teacher of the Week, just text the word “teacher” to 616-559-1310.

Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.

Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Before You Leave, Check This Out