May Teacher Feature: Misty Draeger
Photo submitted by Draeger.
Our final featured teacher for the 2025-2026 school year is the one and only Mrs. Draeger! A graduate of Missouri Western State University for her bachelor's degree and UW-La Crosse for her master's degree, she has been at Hamilton for 20 years. She and her husband "love to travel and explore new places." They hope to visit all 50 states and only have three more to go! Unfortunately, their beloved Harley can't be the main family ride since they have two children: one in seventh grade and one a junior at UW-Milwaukee. When she's not traversing the country, Draeger loves to cook, read, and listen to audiobooks. She also loves dogs and tattoos.
Read on to learn more about this Hamilton legend!
What got you interested in teaching?
I worked as a paraprofessional after high school at an elementary school and then transferred districts and school levels. I fell in love with high school kids and thought I could make a difference.
If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would it be?
I always tell my students to “Make good choices. You can’t escape the consequences of your choices, so make them good ones!”
Is there anything you wish you would’ve known as a first year teacher?
That some kids would become “my kids.” Some of the attachments are very real!
Describe yourself in one sentence.
I would say I am caring, compassionate, and have a big heart.
What superpower would you like to have?
I would love to be able to teleport, especially if I could take others with me! It would make travel easier.
If you won 100 million dollars what would you buy first?
Land so that I could open up a dog shelter/kennel.
What weapon would you carry during the Zombie Apocalypse?
A club or a bat.
Who would you team up with and why?
I have no idea who I would team up with!
What’s your claim to fame?
The Student Life picture board in my room.
What would your perfect room/ classroom look like?
Warm and inviting—kind of like mine now!
If you could meet anyone in history who would it be and why?
Edgar Allen Poe! Because his writing fascinates me!
What book or movie would you recommend to your students?
There are several that I think kids should see—The Breakfast Club or Dead Poets Society for movies, but Kite Runner is my favorite book.
What is the best advice you have received?
I was told to remember “You can only control what you can control.”
What fictional character best represents you?
Joy from Inside Out.
Who are your teacher besties?
Annie Schneider, Shannon Burns, Sheri Turnacliff, Sarah Kowalske, Dawn Ruth.
What’s the funniest or most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you as a teacher?
I was given a “gang” name this year! Not embarrassing but definitely funny!
What’s your favorite place on earth?
Any place with my family.
What’s your favorite food?
Tomatoes!
What Crayola Crayon color are you? (The more specific the better!)
Cerulean
Are there more wheels or more doors in the world? Why?
Doors, because we can open our own “doors” through the opportunities we make for ourselves.
