Ms. Miranda Bradley used to teach 18-year-olds how to compose essays in Freshman Composition I and II at The University of Central Oklahoma and UAFS. Now, she teaches 11-year-olds the art of writing and reading here.

Upon hearing about the 2018 Oklahoma Teachers’ Strike on the news and the significant teacher shortage, she opted to switch from the college setting to the middle-school environment.

“At the time, my own children were still in school, and it pained me to imagine them spending nearly an entire year with substitutes, so I felt compelled to do something about that,” Ms. Bradley said. “I got my certification and went to work.”

Before coming here, Ms. Bradley taught 8th and 9th grade Language Arts in Oklahoma. As for returning to teach at the university level, part of Ms. Bradley would like to go back, ideally as an artist-in-residence, after she publishes her memoir.

“Then there is another part of me that is considering going into an administration program,” Ms. Bradley said. “I suppose only time will tell.”

Ms. Bradley truly loves the culture at Kimmons. She feels as though what Kimmons is doing with CKH permeates from the staff down to the students.

“There is a spirit of collaboration between the teachers that I haven’t felt at other schools,” Ms. Bradley said. “A day hasn’t passed without someone asking how I’m acclimating and if there is anything they can do to help – people who don’t even work in my department or grade. Not to mention, I have the best partner imaginable! Mrs. Matlock has made this transition as smooth as possible. Overall, I feel welcomed and supported here, and that makes a huge difference in morale.”

As a student herself, Ms. Bradley thrived the most in English Literature.

“I think for that reason, Language Arts is the subject I was drawn to teach,” Ms. Bradley said. “This is my first time teaching younger students, but so far I have enjoyed it.”

One of Ms. Bradley’s favorite memories as a student was when her 9th grade English teacher assigned Tom Godwin’s short story “The Cold Equations.”

“That story took me somewhere,” Ms. Bradley said. “It felt as though I had left my little world behind and went somewhere else entirely. It evoked emotions that I had never felt before. From that moment on, I knew that I loved to read. I wanted to open as many books and go to as many places as possible, and my options were limitless.”

Ms. Bradley earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from The University of Central Oklahoma, and in 2010, the editor of The Tipton Poetry Journal nominated her poem “Rotting Pumpkins” for the Pushcart Prize.

“That’s a prestigious honor in the literary world and something for which I am proud,” Ms. Bradley said.

One of the biggest challenges Ms. Bradley has faced as a 6th grade Language Arts teacher is being so excited about the material that she has to remember to find new ways to make it exciting for the students.

“For kids growing up in an ever-evolving world of technology, it’s going to take a little more to get them hooked than a story and a worksheet,” Ms. Bradley said.

Outside of school, Ms. Bradely loves taking any opportunity to visit somewhere new.

“I want to see as many places and experience as many cultures as possible,” Ms. Bradley said. “I think that goes hand in hand with reading because I want to see some of the places that my favorite writers described. I am planning a trip to the UK in 2025.”