Inspiring growth through challenging times: Providence Elementary's Teacher of the Year, Milissa Chugg
Congratulations to Milissa Chugg, Providence Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year! Chugg is in her fourth year of teaching fifth-grade dual immersion French. Her helpful and reliable attitude makes her a valuable asset to her school and our district, not to mention the many students she inspires daily.
Chugg always wanted to be a teacher, although life took her on a less traditional route to her end goal. She started her college career at Ricks College in Idaho, then studied a year at Utah State University before finishing her degree in liberal studies at California State Hayward. After a few years, Chugg decided to go back to school and get her master’s degree in elementary education at the University of Phoenix. Going to school online enabled her to spend time with her son and be a mom. She started teaching at Nibley Elementary 13 years ago, before transferring to North Park Elementary, and finally to Providence, where she has been for four years.
Through her years of experience, Chugg has found that teaching can sometimes be challenging, but she lives for the moments when her students light up as they understand a topic she is teaching. “The fun part of teaching is working together with the kids and experiencing things with them. Teaching is a challenge, but it helps me remember that we can all do hard things,” Chugg explained. “Especially with everything that happened this last year, we can do hard things. We can grow and learn and be patient with each other.”
Providence Principal Jeff Keck observes Chugg working hard every day for her students and has witnessed the respect she receives from other teachers. “Milissa is so organized and very helpful to her team,” he said. “She has been a staple at Providence and has influenced the lives of so many students. Milissa is always willing to take on extra tasks to help her peers and is super reliable. She is a very talented teacher and cares for her students individually. She is determined to help each of her students succeed as well as helping them feel that she cares about their future. She is very deserving of this award.”