Darnaby Elementary – Tara Miller, Reading Specialist

Reading specialist Tara Miller has been named the Darnaby Elementary Teacher of the Year for 2019-2020. She has been with Union since 2006.

When Miller was a student at the University of Oklahoma in engineering, she decided to volunteer in a first grade classroom. 

“The students in this classroom were excited to be at school,” Miller said. “They worked in teams to create solutions to real-world problems. They created book talk videos featuring their favorite books.  They used art and music to help their learning stick.  All of these amazing, positive experiences the students were having was because of their loving and passionate teacher.  She created an environment in which her students could thrive.  I wanted to be just like her.  She inspired me to change my major and pursue elementary education.”

As a teacher, Miller has taught all subjects but she found her favorite to be reading. 

“Reading opens doors for students,” Miller opined. “They are able to leave where they are and become characters.  They have shared experiences with their characters and learn lessons that they can take with them.  They can read books of interest and learn new information.  I feel that the most exciting part of my job is in helping them become strategic readers.  They are able to make meaning from their text because they have strategies they can pull from their toolbox.  It brings joy to see students excited about reading.  I know that I have instilled a love for reading.”

Miller has a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from the University of Oklahoma, Master of Science in Teaching, Learning and Leadership degree; and is certified in Elementary Education, Reading Specialist, Social Studies, and English as a Second Language.