About Me...
My name is Mrs. Mara Powers.
I teach 3rd and 4th grade at Crosslake Commuity School. I am also the High Reliability Schools Lead Teacher.
A bit about my past...
I graduated from the amazing teaching program at Bemidji State University. I have lived and worked in the Brainerd Lakes area for many years. While attending BSU, I served as Teaching Associate to Bemidji State's renowned teacher-educator, Dr. Barbara Bridges. I student taught kindergarten at the Crosslake Community School in the Fall of 2015. I have taught K-4 Special Education and 5th & 6th grade Visual Arts. As we transitioned to our new school building, I also transitioned to a new role as Third and Fourth Grade Classroom teacher. Due to my love for teaching literacy - this position was a dream come true!
Other ways I have served Crosslake Community School include serving on the Crosslake Community School Board of Directors, Pequot Lakes Community Education Advisory Panel, Lead Teacher for our Elementary Team at CCS. I am a certified in ENVoY/Catalyst classroom management and am a Level 2 High Reliability Teacher, certified by Marzano Research.
I went to school for horticulture early in life and during the precious summer months I work as a professional gardener, making peoples homes and cabins more beautiful through living art. Throughout the school years I have enjoyed working with a wide range of students - those who are just beginning their adventure in education, up to middle school students who are full of inquiry and wonder - all finding their place in a larger world. Learning and growing are the driving forces behind my aims and goals as an educator. I will continue on my path, I will to do my very best to pass on the passion for and drive that I feel for lifelong learning to every student I meet.
My students are like my flowers, when cared for and nourished they grown and bloom. Each is unique, each with its own frailties, its own strengths. With the proper conditions their growth seems boundless, their blossoming profuse. But, if left alone too long, if ignored or neglected, they wilt and become stunted due to needs going unmet. Each flower adds something special to the garden, often the contrasting colors and textures being the most complimentary in the end. Each student is special, an individual challenge, an individual joy!
My Journey Continues...
As I look forward to the next step in my journey, entering the world of distance education and online teaching, I am reflective of why I chose this field. Education is important to me, I simply love to learn. This is something I can pass on to my students, I can model to them a true life-long learner. Ideas and excitement are contagious, I plan to help spread them as much as possible! Kofi Atta, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, said that “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” For our future citizens to be successful, productive, positive world citizens, the first step is education.
My goal as an educator is to find the special something that drives my students, to help them to find their passion in life, as I have found mine. I believe that learning and communication are the keys to opening of many of life’s doors. I plan to teach my students the importance of knowledge and avenues they may take toward academic success, which will lead them into a bright and prosperous future. Through my strengths in written, oral, visual and interpersonal communication, I feel that I have the potential to reach many students in individual and meaningful ways that will contribute strongly to their success. I value empathy and compassion, an understanding of the world we live in, and a dedication to the service of others. I believe that the education we provide our students should encompass these things, as well as the rigorous academic learning standards to be achieved. Every student has potential to succeed and the right to be held to the highest expectations, we owe our students nothing less.