Teacher Feature: Cristina Markley

By Barbara P. Jacoby

Cristina Markley has been hearing stories about the positive influence of educators since she was a child.

“Growing up, I would always hear stories of my grandfather, who was the headmaster of his school, and grandmother who taught music, home economics, and ran the front office at the same school,” said the Johnston ES second-grade teacher who is in her 25th year of teaching. “Their stories that they shared were always exciting to me. I could feel the love and excitement that they had for their students.”

Her husband, Mark, is a teacher at Mill Creek MS and the son of two teachers. His family’s impact also influenced Markley’s career path.

“Everywhere his parents would go, they would get recognized and have the opportunity to listen to words of gratitude and appreciation for all they had done to help mold young minds,” she said. “The stories that were shared have greatly influenced me to become a teacher, to make a positive impact on a child, to make the world a better place.”  

Markley is following in the footsteps of family members who’ve inspired her. Her students, their families, and her colleagues praise her dedication to building positive relationships that inspire learning.

“I encourage my students to be excited about learning through building strong and positive relationships with them and fostering a safe and nurturing environment,” said Markley, her school’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. “My students love participating in our morning meetings that provide them with the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings and learn more about their classmates. I strive to spark their curiosity by creating meaningful lessons that allow students to communicate, learn, and practice problem-solving skills with real-world situations.”  

One of her most recent innovative additions to her class has been the Microsoft Teams’ Reading Progress tool. 

“By using this tool, my students were able to practice their reading fluency by reading a given passage through an audio/video recording at their own pace,” she said. “This allows me to assess and track my students’ progress, which helps drive my instruction.” 

Markley expands her positive influence through sponsoring the school’s 4-H club, participating in her school’s student mentor program, and volunteering at school and community events including the FIRST
LEGO League regional competitions that her husband co-chairs at Mill Creek MS.

“I love to interact with the families in our school and community by volunteering to assist at book fairs and food drives as well as attending the extracurricular activities of past and present students and supporting them in their future endeavors,” Markley said. 

What can parents do to help their child be as successful as possible at school? 

 “I encourage parents to be their child’s personal cheerleader: make time to talk about what is happening in the classroom and at school. It is also important for parents to stay in the know: visit the teacher Canvas page, school and county websites, and keep up with the daily agenda. Keep a positive attitude about coming and staying in school,” said Markley.