Mike Matlock

Teacher

I became an educator because… I was always inspired by teachers in my past -- specifically my high school music teacher. I studied music education and saxophone performance at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, and had plans to be a high school band director until I was recruited by Teach for America and became a first grade teacher in Washington, D.C.

Prior to Equitas, I… worked as a professional woodwind musician (specializing in all woodwind instruments including flute, piccolo, clarinet(s), oboe, saxophone(s), and bassoon) in musical theater pit orchestras in Chicago for 10 years. The first five of those years I also worked as a full time K/1 classroom teacher at an EL Education school called Polaris on the West Side. After establishing myself as a working musician I left the classroom to pursue performance full time and to work part time as adjunct woodwind faculty at a private school, and part time as a general music teacher in CPS schools. Before moving to Chicago I worked for six years as a K/1 teacher at an EL Education school in Washington, D.C. called Two Rivers.

I chose Equitas because… of its diversity of staff, overall organization, recent adoption of the EL Education Literacy curriculum, and the Pico Union community.

Outside of school, I enjoy… spending time with my husband exploring our new city, being a super active yogi, and taking as much time outside as possible including surfing, mountain biking, hiking, skiing, beaching, long boarding, rollerblading, and camping.