A2 STEAM first grade teacher Caroline Semrau was born in Manila, Philippines, the youngest of six children. When she was two years old, her family immigrated to the United States and eventually settled outside of Houston, Texas. She earned a B.A. in Economics from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and later joined the U.S. Peace Corps in Bolivia, serving as a small business volunteer and coordinator.
After obtaining her teaching credential in elementary education from California State University, Semrau spent four years in Los Angeles, including three years teaching kindergarten. She then moved to Ann Arbor, where she has lived for the past 22 years.
Throughout her career, she has taught preschool, kindergarten, first grade, and fifth and sixth grade in Dexter, Whitmore Lake, and Ann Arbor.
Semrau completed her master’s degree in early childhood education from Eastern Michigan University and is currently in her 25th year of teaching. She lives with her husband Jeremy, a professor at the University of Michigan, their two sons Gabriel and Isaac, and their two dogs, Kona and Pippin.
A2 STEAM Principal Torian Billings says Semrau is the definition of a skillful teacher.
“Her delightful personality shines through in all of her interactions with students,” he says. “She guides students through learning with care and humor. Her expertise of Project Based Learning is beautifully paired with her ability to build relationships with students.”
What strategies do you use to engage students with different learning styles?
As an English language learner myself (my first language was Tagalog), I naturally turn towards using a variety of strategies to engage students with different learning styles. When I was in school and immersed in English, there were not a lot of hands-on activities. Students just listened to the teacher and read a textbook. While I learned strategies to navigate that type of learning, I didn’t really grasp the content! It wasn’t until I took a middle school Spanish class, where I was asked to create a short video clip, that I began to connect with the material in a different way. That experience made me realize that learning a new language forces you to teach a concept from multiple angles so that students can access the lesson. I try to approach the different subject areas as having to teach students a new language.
Fortunately, through Project Based Learning, we come up with projects that involve different learning styles from field trips connected to the project, to building a design, to observing phenomena like how sound is made or seeing the moon through a telescope. It’s not enough to just pull up a video and let students see how others are engaging in the learning. Students need to get their hands dirty and use their senses to truly understand.
Do you have any tips for classroom management?
Make sure students have lots of strategies to deal with those big feelings! Teaching them to recognize and manage emotions not only supports their social-emotional growth but also helps them develop the self-regulation skills that are crucial for learning.
Modeling expectations and constantly reviewing them are also very important in classroom management. Students need role models to look up to and acknowledging positive contributions students have made to making our community stronger is so important. Everybody wants to feel seen and noticed and the more teachers focus on those positive things, the more positive the classroom becomes.
When I get frustrated while teaching, I model to my students how I stop, name my feeling, do a calming strategy in front of them, and then talk them through how I will solve the problem. I believe in using Responsive Classroom to build class culture and I also strongly support the principles of PBIS.
As a child, I was one of those very quiet and shy students who always followed the rules. However, the louder students were the ones who got attention and I always wanted to be like those louder, more assertive, students. If teachers had acknowledged my positive contributions in class, I think I would have been a more self-confident student willing to take risks.
PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) in my classroom gives students a common goal to work towards since they all want to make positive contributions towards gaining a class celebration. Our class celebrations can kind of get out of control because I genuinely allow students to drive what that celebration might look like. We’ve had celebrations that involve milkshakes, pizza, movie, snow cones, popcorn, hot chocolate, extra recess, dance parties, karaoke, etc. In the past, I saw celebrations as a way for me to just relax with pajamas and a movie. I realize now that students work so hard towards those special occasions and, as their teacher, I need to try my best to make their ideas come to life.
What do you like about working for AAPS, and for A2 STEAM in particular?
I moved to AAPS nine years ago because of A2 STEAM! I had been teaching for 16 years in traditional schools with experience in preschool, kindergarten, first grade, fifth grade, and sixth grade. During my time with my previous district, I got trained in Project Based Learning and simply fell in love with it! I tried PBL in my classroom and was really hoping that my school would adopt it into a more school-wide approach. Of course, it takes a long time for that change to happen in a traditional school.
When I heard that there was an opening at A2STEAM, I applied and was fortunate to get hired. Working with such motivated and risk-taking colleagues is quite inspiring. I learn every day from my colleagues and I am so lucky to be with a supportive and collaborative group. A2STEAM is a gem and I’m so proud to be part of the forward-thinking movement that is happening there! It’s a place where staff push boundaries, try new things, and challenge each other to be better for our students.
What’s the most challenging aspect of ensuring every student’s needs are met?
Resources, resources, resources! We just don’t have enough of them, particularly staff! If I had
a magic wand, I would make sure every classroom had a teaching assistant to support the entire class of no more than 20 students! We have a ton of resources when it comes to programs, curriculum, and supplies but without caring adults, who are adequately monetized for their work and dedication, it will continue to be a challenge to meet every student’s needs.
Furthermore, teachers are being asked to do a lot more without reasonable compensation. Just
like students can’t learn while dysregulated, teachers can’t teach effectively while stressors are high. Even though teaching and engaging students bring me genuine joy, it’s hard to ignore the other systemic factors that weigh heavily on teachers and contribute to burnout thereby affecting the true goal of ensuring every student’s needs are met.
Can you share a success story of helping a struggling student?
I wish I could say that I helped all struggling students single-handedly. I did not. It takes a team to help a student -from family members to fellow teachers to administrators to special education staff to volunteers. So I can’t really think of a 100 percent success story because the year I spend with a child is just one step in that child’s school journey. I like to think that I introduced the student to a learning world that is filled with curiosity and opportunities to explore and grow. I like to think that I’ve taught them a few tips on how they can deal with the challenges ahead of them. However, in the grand scheme of things, I realize that my contribution is that old adage of just planting a seed. I nourished that seed while in my classroom and my hope is that it will continue to thrive and grow into a beautiful plant, ready to help others for the greater good of our society.
What professional development activities have you found most helpful in your career?
Last summer, I had the opportunity to engage in some professional development activities that
have transformed how I approach my math and language arts blocks. First, the LETRS training
has really helped me understand the science of reading and the “why” and “how” certain concepts need to be taught. Second, Orton-Gilligham‘s training helped me to take a more systematic approach to teaching the various orthographic patterns in the English language. There’s so much of it!
Finally, AVMR made me rethink my math activities and provided me with a tool to truly assess math competency. While I’m grateful for the opportunity to have received this training, I can’t help but wish I had these resources and strategies earlier in my career. I know they could have made a greater impact on my previous students, and I’m excited to bring this new knowledge into my current and future classrooms.
If you could suddenly be very talented in one thing, what would that be?
I think being able to speak multiple languages would be amazing. Having the ability to engage in
meaningful conversations with people from different backgrounds would help me learn more about their culture and traditions. During my younger and adventurous years, I did quite a bit of traveling and I always made an effort to learn the local language. I loved getting out of the touristy areas, leafing through a language dictionary, trying out some new vocabulary words and really spending time with the locals. It taught me so much about their culture and helped to enrich the travel experience. It’s amazing how much we can learn about a culture when we take the time to understand the language that shapes it.
What are you excited about these days?
I’m excited to see where my own children end up in life! Gabriel, my 19-year-old son, went to Abbot, Forsythe, and Community and is now pursuing theater at Oberlin College. Isaac is finishing up eighth grade in A2STEAM. He has been going to school with me ever since I started working at AAPS. Watching my own children find their passions and pursue them is one of the most exciting experiences as a parent. It’s amazing how their interests developed over the years and how they evolved through the developmental stages of childhood into adulthood. I spent countless hours making costumes, watching plays and movies, going to Rubik’s Cube competitions, and trying to find the perfect Lego pieces. Looking back on those moments, I find myself reflecting on how they led my sons down their respective paths. I’ll then turn to my husband Jeremy, who has been my support for the last 22 years, and say “It makes so much sense now!”
Outside of teaching, what hobbies or interests do you enjoy?
I enjoy lots of fitness activities such as running, biking, swimming, hiking, kayaking, pickleball and just walking (especially with a friend or my dogs). If I can do those activities outdoors, even better! Of course, you can find me in the gym attempting to lift weights or trying a yoga stretch or two. As long as it’s good for my health, I’ll try it! I’ve also been exploring different types of dance experiences. Lately, I tried Bollywood dance (that was hard!), silent disco (big fan!), and square dancing. (Talk about mentally and physically rigorous!) I also joined PACE-MI, Philippine Arts and Culture Ensemble of Michigan, where I’ve been learning Filipino folkloric dance and discovering more about my heritage. The diversity within the Philippines is astounding!
Similarly, I’m active in APISAA, a parent advocacy group for AAPS that supports families and students who identify as Asian, Pacific Islander, and/or South Asian. In this group, I work with some very dedicated individuals whose work is to promote representation, equity, and inclusion in our schools. If I had to pick one hobby that encompasses all of my interests it would be to just try something different— a new workout or dance style or just connecting with my community.
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