Being a teacher is hard work, and teaching third graders can certainly be a challenge, but Lake Road Elementary Teacher of the Year Leslie Riefle seems to have found the secret to success. It’s a combination of serious and silly.
“She truly respects and admires the students and parents that she serves and is a blessing to all the lives that she touches,” said sixth grade teacher Jessica Burnette, in a nomination letter.
In pictures taken in Riefle’s class, you would be hard-pressed to find a student that isn’t smiling, and according to those students, her classroom is a great place to learn.
Burnette summed up the qualities that best define Riefle’s contributions at Lake Road and why she deserves Teacher of the Year.
“Every student would say that Mrs. Riefle is kind, caring, dedicated, fun and magical. They truly have the best experience in her class,” Burnette said. “If there is a need, Mrs. Riefle will make sure it’s met. Kind words, engagement activities, extra conversations and family follow-up are just a few examples of how she goes the extra mile.”
Riefle sports an impressive resume. She attended both Mineral Area College and Three Rivers College before getting her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Hannibal-LaGrange University, then adding a Master of Education in elementary administration from William Woods University. She serves on the district curriculum committee and serves on several committees in the school.
Winning the honor of Teacher of the Year didn’t take long, as she only began teaching at Lake Road beginning in the 2018 school year, and in the district at the Fifth and Sixth Grade Center in 2013.
First grade teacher Malinda Roark explained Riefle’s success.
“Leslie is always looking for new ideas to keep students motivated and engaged in lessons,” Roark said. “She plans a lot of fun learning activities, so her students always have something to look forward to.”
And the fun doesn’t stop with learning. Riefle makes a point of interacting with her students. She eats lunch with them, and isn’t afraid to dress up like a rock and roller. She has worn a skull and crossbones shirt with a headband and sunglasses as she rode a scooter near the playground to a throng of appreciative students.
Parent Jessica Hill shared her daughter’s experience, and it’s not one that many students might want to admit to feeling, but by all indications, many of Riefle’s students do.
“My daughter LOVES going to school every day and CRIES almost every time there is an extended break,” Hill said. “Mrs. Riefle, knowing how tough the thought of Christmas break was on Paisley, contacted me with her phone number so Paisley could call her and talk to her if she wanted. Not many teachers would do that.”