“GRPS Champions” is a web series published every Monday celebrating the incredible work of GRPS team members.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) -- For Chelsea Keillor, teaching is not just a job - it’s a calling.
"I enjoy coming to work every day during the school year to help teach, influence, and evaluate our scholars and push them to learn and be better," said Keillor, an elementary school teacher at North Park Montessori. "What I enjoy most is seeing the light and love of learning in the kids in many aspects of the day-to-day learning experiences."
One of the unique aspects of her role at North Park Montessori is the opportunity to teach the same scholars for three consecutive years, guiding them from first through third grade.
"Watching them learn and grow is very important to me. Being able to watch them grow and run into them after they leave my classroom and become successful in life means the world to me," she explained.
Keillor’s journey with GRPS began in 2013 when she started as a childcare worker at North Park Montessori. Fresh out of college and newly returned to West Michigan, she quickly fell in love with the school’s atmosphere. In 2014, she was offered a teaching position at North Park.
"I knew this was where I wanted to teach," Keillor recalled. "God had a plan for me, and I have been at North Park ever since.”
Keillor is deeply committed to understanding and meeting the needs of her scholars, recognizing that every child learns differently.
"My impact in my role is giving students a safe and comfortable place to learn and being able to get to know my scholars and their families," she said. "Not every student learns the same way, and it is my job as an educator to meet the needs of my students and teach them in the manner that makes the most sense to them.”
Keillor’s dedication to her scholars and the school is a testament to the values of GRPS and the Montessori philosophy. By fostering a love of learning and building strong relationships with her scholars and their families, she is helping to lay the foundation for lifelong success.
