Teacher Spotlight: Mimi Replogle

Hailey Heseltine
ECB Publishing, Inc.

The art of teaching is one that is arguably the most important in the world. When we are very young, we rely on our parents or guardians to teach us basic motor skills, how to eat and how to take care of ourselves. As we gain independence, our teachers in life guide us through discovering the world around us, mastering new skills and habits along the way. Even the most experienced and prestigious professions in the world are only possible with the help of educators. This week, we spotlight the efforts and dedication of one of Jefferson County's very own educators, Mimi Replogle.
Replogle currently teaches 2nd grade at Jefferson County K-12 (JCS). She just began teaching at JCS this school year, though she has been a teacher since 2017. Prior to beginning her work here, she taught in her hometown of Madison, Fla. Though she has also lived in Tallahassee and Monticello, she was excited when she had the opportunity to move back to the town she had been born and raised in.
“It's home. All of my family is here, so it was like coming back home,” she says.
Replogle admits that being a teacher was not her original goal in life. Prior to her newer career, she mostly held office jobs centered on business management. She earned an AA degree from North Florida College in 1995, then went on to graduate from Valdosta State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 2001. However, after having her three children, she decided she wanted to change her career path. She wanted to be closer to her kids, and besides that, her experience in working with federal programs also motivated her to want to become a teacher. She had witnessed firsthand the changes that needed to be made in the world, and it had a deep impact on her.
“I felt like I could do more for the kids as a teacher,” she says.
So, she began studying with Concordia University to earn her master's degree in education leadership online, which she graduated with in 2015.
To begin her career as a teacher, she started at Madison County Central School, which has students from pre-k to 8th grade. Over the years, she has taught several different grades, including kindergarten, 6th grade and 2nd grade.
She decided to come to JCS because she “needed something different.” She was excited to begin teaching 2nd grade again, as it was her favorite grade to teach, and has so far been delighted to work with JCS.
“I love the atmosphere...administration is very welcoming, and they've always made me feel appreciated,” she says.
Her mission as a teacher is to bring kids to a high achievement level, for them to successfully meet all their social and economic challenges, and for the students to know they are intelligent, appreciated and “can go anywhere in the world they want.”
Something that she has found to be a challenge is being flexible to keep up with the ever-changing world beyond the classroom.
“As society changes, adapting in the classroom to accommodate it is one of the biggest things,” she explains. “So I try to stay up to date with any changes and balance it the best I can while being adaptable.”
So far, she believes her time there has been a roaring success. She is very proud of her students, and she has been enjoying her time teaching, especially since she gets to work with the curriculum of 2nd grade, which she describes as “getting to explore topics.” The curriculum is full of developmental milestones for children, and they get to experience diving deeper into science, math and English, activities which involve and help develop their imaginations and critical thinking skills.
Speaking of her satisfaction, she says, “There's not much about teaching I dislike right now...I love the kids, without a doubt, and Jefferson is so welcoming, so inviting. I'm glad I'm working here, and I plan to stay here.”
Replogle has been married for 22 years to an 8th grade math teacher, Matt Replogle, who works in Madison County. They have three beautiful daughters, who Mimi Replogle describes as “[her] joy” and “truly a blessing.” The family also has a pet beagle named Coco.
Though she is busy with work and family, Replogle likes to unwind by designing things on her computer, fishing, seeing her nephew play baseball and spending as much time with her daughters as she can.
Thank you to Mrs. Replogle for your work as one of Jefferson County's many hardworking teachers!