Becoming more than just an ordinary sub to her students, Mrs. Mierau filled the positions of many English teachers who were in need of a long-term substitute. She taught a total of approximately ten classes this year. Apart from teaching typical English classes, Mrs. M also taught Ms. Hanson’s Honors English 9 class, as well as several journalistic classes such as Yearbook and Photojournalism during the first semester.

Taking on a wide selection classes, sometimes even without room for a prep period, not only allowed her to work with a variety of teams throughout the English department but also gave her the chance influence more students.

“I was pretty nervous to teach honors, but once I met my students and we began work, it was amazing. Overall, I have enjoyed the year with a large variety in lesson planning and grading, especially teaching PhotoJ which is completely out of my box!” Mrs. M said. “I have gotten to know many more co-workers than I would have otherwise and that has been very rewarding, but not quite as rewarding as the relationships I have built with my students.”

There was something about this Downey High School alumnus that made her a favorite amongst students, encouraging them to become more involved in learning.

“Class was actually enjoyable and extremely fun, but we still learned and got things done. The best thing she contributed was her eagerness to teach and her attitude and personality are great, which made class a more enjoyable experience,” freshman Keyla Sanchez said. “Everyone still mentions all the great times we had when Mrs. M. was our teacher, and we all miss her dearly.”

Being loved so dearly by her students, it was inevitable that Mrs. Mierau get her own Facebook fan page. Her honors freshman class came up with the idea since they shared a particularly close bond, similar to those developed in her other classes.

“Even though Mrs. Mierau was very friendly with us, she was down to business, yet friendly enough to support our fan page,” creator of the fan page Nicholas Padron said. “Mrs. Mierau definitely brought a good vibe to the class. We laughed more often, but accomplished what we set out to accomplish. Saying goodbye was kind of like getting off a roller coaster to find out that was the last time it would function.”

Mrs. Mierau is not only admired by the students she has taught but her position as a substitute teacher is also greatly appreciated by the teachers whom she filled in for during her first year teaching at Downey High.