Shyla Gaume
Teacher at Silver Valley Elementary School
Second grade has seriously never seemed so fun—so long as Shyla Gaume is your teacher. The Queen Creek educator has garnered a pretty major following on social media for documenting her outfits, day-to-day activities, and other antics that make up teacher life. Follow her on Instagram for a glimpse into the world of an Arizona teacher @ms.shankleteaches.
What inspired you to be a teacher? It’s more of a “who”: Mr. Ed Bergh, Mr. Joshua Hamblin and Mrs. Erika Hedegard; my former high school teachers who inspired me to pursue become an educator. They made me feel welcomed, heard, valued and cared for. They went above and beyond for me, never gave up on me, and pushed me to succeed. I want to be that for my students.
Your must-have school supply for the beginning of each year/semester is: COFFEE! Just kidding! My go-to supply is my planner. With all the beginning of the year meetings and standards, I rely on my planner to keep me on schedule!
Best piece of advice for a new educator? Find joy in the process. Starting this career can be messy, stressful and exhausting. Ask for help, laugh, breathe, learn and try again. Don’t carry the stress of one day into the next. We really are “all in this together.” You are not alone because you have an entire pack of educators rooting for you and here for you when you need it!
If your students take away one lesson from being in your classroom, what do you hope that lesson is? That they are so loved and so valued for who they are as a whole – that they are more than just academics and test scores. I hope that my students learn how important they are, how their actions and words have the power to shape not only their future, but the world.