Get to Know Mike Coryell, Student Programs Specialist

Get to Know Mike Coryell, Student Programs Specialist

Mike Coryell began his work at the Christ School in January of 2015. Since his arrival, Mike has enhanced The Christ School Academic team through his hard work and commitment to the success of our students.  Mike began his educational career as a teacher, first at Chain of Lakes Middle School as a math instructor, then at Conway Middle School, where he taught for ten years.  “I started teaching computers, but soon I was teaching computers, yearbook, video production, and a lot of other subjects,” he says.  After earning a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, he turned his focus to administration.  “I felt that as an administrator, I could affect more students than just the ones in my classroom,” he says.   Mike served as Administrative Dean at Conway Middle School for two years before coming to TCS.

Mike’s role at TCS has many facets.  The biggest part of his job is to organize and implement all of the diverse student programs at TCS including the middle school class trips, middle school and high school transition, the National Junior Honor Society, Middle School Retreat, and graduation.  He is also responsible for student discipline.  “What is important to know is that TCS believes in restorative discipline,” says Mike. “This means that when a student needs discipline, it really means that there is a broken relationship that needs to be restored.  Whether the relationship is student to student or student to teacher, the goal is to fix the relationship.  Discipline is not always about punishment; it is about making sure the student understands how things can be corrected and how their actions impact others.  I have worked to build trust with our students so they know I am here to help them; they know that they have someone here that they can talk to when they have a problem.”

Mike also serves as the school’s RenWeb liaison.  “With my background in computers, it was a good fit,” he says.  “My goal is to ensure that RenWeb is an efficient way for families and teachers to communicate.  Since I have been here, I have standardized our system to make RenWeb easier for our teachers.  We are now implementing forms to help make sign-ups for field trips, clubs, and other activities more efficient.”

Although he started his new position at TCS just a year ago, Mike is a familiar friend at our school.  “As an undergraduate, I completed my student teaching at TCS back in 2002,” says Mike.  “I feel as though  I was called back here.  Three years ago, I spoke with Jason about coming back to work here.  I was finishing my Masters Degree, and the timing wasn’t right.  For me to be effective at TCS, I needed to be in an Administrator’s shoes for a while first, so I gained the experience that helped me to be able to fulfill my role here.” Mike continues, “Middle school is my focus and my passion. I am glad to be at TCS in this role, where I can make a difference in the lives of our students.”

Mike and his wife, Tricia, have two children.  Their daughter Angela is a student at UCF. Their son John is an Orange County Sheriff.