She knows all about the earth, from minerals to the mesosphere, but how much do you know about Barstow’s very own Mrs. Kayleen Garrels? 

“I just like the feeling that I was sharing knowledge with people and that I was making a difference and that’s how I started thinking about teaching,” says Mrs. Garrels, one of Barstow’s science teachers. 

Starting this school year off as Mrs. Garrels’ second year at Barstow, not many are familiar with her. She teaches eighth-grade earth science, the science for fun elective, and an upper-school science class. Since Mrs. Garrels teaches 6 classes at Barstow; chances are you’ll probably be in one of those. 

Teaching wasn’t always in the cards for Mrs. Garrels, however. After graduating from UMKC in 2016, she worked for the city of Kansas City, Missouri as an environmental officer doing inspections. After working there for five years, she felt burnt out and that the job was not for her. However, she enjoyed giving lessons to schools about how to help our environment. After realizing this passion for working with children, Mrs. Garrels decided to try and secure a job in teaching. 

“I didn’t feel like it was super fulfilling. I knew I wanted to transition to something where I felt like I could make more of a difference, something that was a little bit more meaningful to me,” says Mrs. Garrels. 

Despite enjoying working with kids, Mrs. Garrels has none of her own but wants to someday. At home, she lives with her husband and three dogs, who are about eight years old. Willow is an Ikita mix, Tank is a Newfoundland mix, and Ruby is a German shepherd mix. Mrs. Garrels loves her mom and her husband and feels that those are the people she is closest with. 

Being a science teacher, Mrs. Garrels loves everything about nature. Her dream job would be working as a park ranger at a national park. She loves hiking, so this job would be perfect for her, and she would still be able to interact with kids on a daily basis. As for which national park she would enjoy any, but Glacier or Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park are her favorites. 

Her love of nature makes hiking a favorite hobby of Mrs. Garrels’; she especially loves the mountains. Hiking, traveling, and exploring new places are some of her passions. Mrs. Garrels enjoys the scenery and thinks they’re beautiful to look at. The state of Arizona used to be where Mrs. Garrels called home, so of course she’s used to being around the mountains. Obviously, teaching about the earth for living adds a little bias. 

If she’s not out exploring in nature, you can find Mrs. Garrels in her classroom. She especially appreciates that every day is different than the last. Teaching adds a variety to her life she did not get with her last job. Seeing kids make progress in their knowledge is another thing Mrs. Garrels especially loves. Even when kids may not be super interested in science, she loves sharing her passion.

“Maybe if kids don’t necessarily love science, seeing them get a little bit more interested in the topics we’re learning about. That’s just really great,” she says. 

However, there’s one thing Mrs. Garrels would change; it’s that she wishes her students would cut themselves a little more slack. School is hard and she thinks her students should learn to be more proud of their accomplishments. Mrs. Garrels hates seeing her students stressed and thinks her students should try and enjoy school and life a little more.

“I just have noticed lately that, it’s mainly eighth graders, they are always really hard on themselves. They don’t realize how smart they are and how hard they’re working,” Mrs. Garrels says when asked about her students. 

Since it’s only her second year officially teaching, Mrs. Garrels is still a bit newer to teaching. However, she describes her teaching style as “more laid back and understanding” which most of her students would agree with. 

“I would like to say I’m pretty laid back. I try to let the interests of my students lead where we go in class as much as possible. I really want my students to enjoy what we’re learning about,” she says. 

Many would agree Mrs. Garrels is a great teacher and her passion for educating really shows when she teaches. Working with kids is exciting for her and that makes her a wonderful teacher. Mrs. Garrels is an asset to the Barstow community and many enjoy having her as a teacher.