When history teacher Mike Miller steps up to the floor to begin his lecture, he grins, already thinking about ways to capture his students’ attention. He stomps his foot on the ground, scans the classroom and raises his voice softly, letting the lesson unfold naturally. For Miller, these gestures are a vital part of captivating each class. 

Miller currently teaches civics, philosophy and AP government, where he begins each day by focusing on classroom engagement. Through educating students on these varying topics, he has developed a teaching style that blends PowerPoint lectures, student speeches, and discussions on current events. 

“I try to be as engaging and interesting as possible,” Miller said. “That’s the first box I gotta tick because if you don’t tick that box, the students are checked out and everything else is a waste of time, frankly. So I always start there.”

While teaching, Miller incorporates humor, whether it be his jokes, comments, or just by the way he naturally acts.

“If I tell a joke here and there or stomp or stare, it’s just part of my shtick,” Miller said. “On some level, teachers are performers, and there’s a certain showmanship.”

Miller traces his passion for teaching history back to his college years. As a student at Denver University, he took a humanities course called The Community, The Individual, and The Quest For Good Life, where he was introduced to new ways of interpreting history and culture. 

“I can remember walking out of those classes freshman year and just being struck with the content and how much I loved it,” Miller said. “I encountered some terrific educators in Denver, and they got me thinking in a liberal arts, history, and philosophical sort of way.”

As he grew older, Miller began to explore different interests by expanding his knowledge of literature and history beyond the classroom.

“I worked on my mind in my 20s and read lots of novels [and I was] into traveling,” Miller said. “It was in my 20s that I began to think about intellectual pursuits.”

The professors Miller admired during college inspired him to use lectures as a central part of his teaching style. Miller prefers lectures over laptops because they provide a more interactive experience with students.

“I just don’t want to put one more screen in front of [my students],” Miller said. “I consider the time with students to be special. I like the face-to-face and conveying information through stories, adding humor when I can, [and my] lectures facilitate that.”

In addition to being able to speak directly with students, Miller believes that lectures allow him to share a lot of information and material that his students need to know.

“Content is important for me,” Miller said. “[Students] should be coming out of my classes with a certain knowledge base, and on some level, the most expedient way to get information in your head is by me opening my mouth and getting it between your ears.”

One of the ways Miller allows students to participate is through “Friday speeches,” where students share their opinions on an article or paper that he assigns. Miller uses these speeches to expose his students to differing opinions from peers.

“In my class, you’ve got kids of different persuasion, and we get up there and talk sometimes about political issues,” Miller said. “There’s a diversity of thought, and [students] should be able to sit still and listen with mindfulness to people that you disagree with and maybe applaud them when their speech is over.”

Through these interactive activities, students like junior Kai Spaulding appreciate Miller’s unique approach he brings to the classroom.

“Mr. Miller is a very interesting guy,” Spaulding said. “The way he teaches is different compared to most other teachers, but [that] is a good thing because it makes his class enjoyable.”

Because Miller spends a lot of time in the classroom, he balances his social energy with personal activities such as working out at the gym. Miller finds fulfillment both in interacting with people and in having time to himself. 

“During the day, I enjoy my solitude, frankly,” Miller said. “I get that [solitude] at the gym. So physical fitness has always been important to me. When I was really young, I was kind of a shy jock, not interested in books, just sports. My whole life was sports, and I was good at it, and I loved it.”

After students finish taking his classes, Miller hopes that they learn and retain some knowledge about government, develop good writing skills, and are confident when speaking in front of others.

“I want to be able to have conversations with people out there about government and I also want [my students] to become better writers,” Miller said. “That’s why I assign so many papers. There will also be moments in your professional and personal life where you’re going to be asked to open your mouth and say something coherent and maybe with humor, and I give you practice in class.”

Miller’s focus on student engagement extends beyond just keeping attention in the classroom; he wants students to feel encouraged to follow and achieve their dreams.

“When there are teacher workshops in this building, it’s just kind of a different world,” Miller said. “But when the kids come in, there’s a certain optimism [they] bring that’s inherent with youth, and I find that really fun to be around. I feel really fortunate. I mean that from the heart. I get to hang out with teenagers all day because you guys have your futures in front of you and, even the kids who are feeling most down, they all have this little flicker of hope about their futures.”