From being a dedicated student in Coral Gables Senior High to stepping into the role of chemistry teacher, Mr. Rodney Michel’s journey has been unique. Although his path in education might be brief, with plans to pursue a career in the medical field, he is determined to leave a long-lasting impression on his students and colleagues.
As a top student, choosing the right path after high school was a tough decision. Influenced by his desire to stay close to his friends and family and receiving a quality education, choosing the right college was key for Mr. Michel’s success. After receiving a scholarship offered by the University of Miami, his decision was clear. Attending UM has been one of Mr. Michel’s many accomplishments over the course of his career. Whilst at UM, he explored his many talents and discovered his passion for internal medicine.
Though his goal is to work in the medical field, Mr. Michel’s path to teaching began unexpectedly during sophomore year. He started tutoring his peers in organic chemistry and found that it came natural to him. He was happy to teach other people and found a point of interest, where he could represent what he knew by helping someone else.
This passion for helping others led him to take on teaching opportunities at UM, including being a teaching assistant for a lab. Working as a lab assistant taught him how to prepare lesson plans and how to help students engage in schoolwork, as the experience gave him the necessary skills to guide students effectively. When Ms. Keily headed towards maternity leave, Mr. Michel quickly grabbed his lab coat once again and was ready to teach high school students about chemistry. He also attended International Baccaleaureate summer workshops to better prepare for his teaching role, expanding his skills further and ensuring he could meet his students needs.
As a first-year teacher, Mr. Michel is excited to experience Gables from a new perspective and hopes to see the school from behind the teacher’s desk. His experience as a graduate of the program himself helps him understand how to navigate the challenges IB classes and tests for his students and he feels lucky to be surrounded by this generation of Cavaliers. He has already seen many surprises and challenges, but he remains enthusiastic about adapting to his new role.
“I think it’s a little funny to see my brother teaching and my friends taking his class and asking me about it. But I’m glad he is doing what he likes and is enjoying it,” sophomore Hennley Michel said.
Besides academics, he hopes to give back to the Gables community that supported him throughout his four years in high school. He wants to help facilitate the staff’s and student’s jobs as much as possible, whether it is through college admissions guidance, navigating life at Gables or being a listener.
“I am looking forward to meeting the different types of students and seeing how Gables has evolved since I have graduated. I am really excited to be part of the faculty now. I’m most excited to see the IB chemistry students succeed on their exams because having been an IB student myself, I can understand the stress those students are going through.”
As Mr. Michel continues to adapt to his role as a teacher, his students have already taken notice of his knowledge and teaching style. Despite being in his first year, Mr. Michel’s ability to communicate difficult topics has impressed many of his students.
“I really like his class because I can tell he really knows what he’s teaching us about. He has the knowledge, and even though he’s a first year teacher, it doesn’t feel like that. He’s confident about all his answers and knows how to make us learn,” sophomore Ricardo Bonilla said.Mr. Michel plans to continue his career in health after the 2024-25 school year comes to a close. He has not decided on a medical profession but he hopes to work in a hospital setting. Everything he has done has been set to help people, and having been a common theme in his life, he plans to bring that with him as a professional. Mr. Michel feels strongly about working in public healthcare, where he believes he can make a greater difference in providing care to those who need it the most but may not have easy access to it.
“I guess I would be relatively against going private, just because I feel like you limit your access to the people that really need healthcare the most,” Mr. Michel said.
Despite this passion, Mr. Michel has not completely ruled out the possibility of returning to teach in the future. After making his impact in the healthcare industry, Mr. Michel hopes he can come back to Gables as a volunteer for the faculty. Today, his desire to mentor and support students remains strong, and he hopes to continue being a part of the educational communities that have been important in his life. For now, Mr. Michel is focused on making the most of his time at Gables.
