The Brightside: Kamesha Miller
FRUITLAND, Md. – If you go to Bennett Middle School or have a child who attends, you might have noticed someone standing at the drop-off section with a microphone, a sign, and a big smile. Ms. Kamesha Miller is an educator who is trying to start students’ day off right with a fun uplifting morning routine.
“Learn to be kind, lead with love, give people some grace, and show somebody some kindness,” says Miller. Miller the dean of students at Bennett middle school goes above and beyond as an educator; She does so by making sure the students start their day off on the right foot. “I want to make sure that a school is a place they want to come to, not feel compelled or feel like it’s somewhere they don’t want to be,” says Miller.
Miller tells us, she has been in education for 25 years and has taught at all grade levels, and even spent time teaching at an alternative school. It’s with that experience she saw how important it is to be the light in someone’s day. “Kids that come in every morning, sometimes they don’t come in with the best experiences before they get to us.” Miller adds, “So if I’m at the front and I can help their day and motivate them, get it started, make it a little easier for the next person, that’s what I want to do.”
Miller says middle school is a time in students’ lives that tests them emotionally, so getting them to open up can be a challenge, but it’s a challenge she’s willing to take. ‘You have to be transparent with them, you have to be genuine, you have to be real, and they have to know that you have flaws,” says Miller. She adds, “Help them understand that they have goals, and we want to get them to those goals and let them know it’s okay to be who they are and figure out their way in life and someone is here to love them and support them through it.”
We’re also told, Miller is in charge of community in-reach at Bennett Middle school, providing her students with external resources like interactions with college students. She says her role as an educator goes beyond teaching students, and whether it’s providing those experiences or just starting their day off right, she wants to make a difference in kids’ lives. “Kindness can open doors for you and having respect and holding yourself to a certain standard and expectation, will open doors for you that your education might not open doors for.” Miller adds, “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, and until we can build that friendship and break down some of those walls, I can’t teach you anything if you’re not willing to invest in what I’m teaching you.”
From cool hand-shakes to a few uplifting words for students, Miller is using kindness to connect with students. “I lead with love and I lead with grace, but I also have expectations for them to do what they need to do and build character because that’s what happens when nobody is looking,” say says.
When we asked for her advice for other educators, she tells 47 ABC, “Invest in kids, know that what you’re doing is greater than yourself. You may plant a seed and you may never see that seed grow but just know that you’re doing something good for the long run at least for one student. Just investing in children is one of the best things you can do as an educator.”
Miller says she’s looking forward to giving her students more opportunities to prepare them for life outside of middle school, and she hopes more educators find a way to be a safe place for students.
