Michele Bradley, a 4th-grade teacher at Crossroads Elementary School (Bath County) with 26 years of experience in the classroom, was honored as a 2026 Kentucky Teacher Achievement Award winner in the elementary school division. Photo submitted by Michele Bradley
(OWINGSVILLE, KY) — For more than two decades, Michele Bradley has been a familiar and inspiring educator within Bath County Schools. Now in her 26th year of teaching – with 24 of those years spent in the Bath County school district – Bradley has worked to become known in her school community as a dedicated educator, mentor and role model for her students and fellow colleagues.
Bradley’s teaching journey began in Menifee County, where she spent her first two years in the classroom, but she always knew she wanted to go back home. Born and raised in Bath County, she returned to her hometown to serve as the district’s computer lab teacher for kindergarten through 5th grade for two years before transitioning into a 4th-grade teaching role, where she has stayed for the past 21 years.
Bradley, who has always been passionate about serving the community that had poured so much into her education growing up, said her dream was to teach in the same elementary school where she began her journey. She made that dream a reality by spending the early years of her career in Bath County at Bethel Elementary in Owingsville before it consolidated with another local elementary school in 2010, Crossroads Elementary. She has been a part of the Crossroads family ever since.
“Bath County was where I was born and raised and attended school myself. I always knew I wanted to go back home,” Bradley said.
As early as 2nd grade, Bradley knew she had a passion for teaching. Being raised on a farm by her grandparents, she would bring home as many textbooks as she could and spend every weekend playing school. She loved the idea of making a difference in the lives of others, just as others had made in her life.
“My 2nd-grade teacher, Mrs. Caudill, made learning fun and engaging and I knew then I wanted to be a teacher,” Bradley said. “My grandma also had a huge impact on my path of becoming a teacher. She probably saw a spark in me before I noticed it myself and she did everything she could to help my dreams become a reality growing up.”
Bradley currently teaches 4th grade at Crossroads Elementary, where she focuses on building positive relationships with students, creating a supportive classroom culture and climate, and establishing high expectations for all students.
Bradley was honored as a 2026 Kentucky Teacher Achievement Award winner in the elementary school division.
“It has been a very humbling experience and probably the most memorable experience I will have in my career as a teacher,” Bradley said. “I have been surrounded by love, support and encouragement from people within my district.”
In the spring of 2023, Bradley was invited to be a part of her district’s deeper learning team, focusing primarily on teacher clarity. After attending training through the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation, she served as the district professional learning community lead, guiding teachers in all four buildings in the district as they worked through their district’s Teacher Clarity initiative of developing learning intentions and success criteria for the Kentucky Academic Standards.
Due to her leadership with the district initiative, Bradley was selected to attend the 2024 Annual Visible Learning Conference, held in July 2024 in San Diego, Calif.
In attending this conference, Bradley learned the premise of Visible Learning is all about making learning seen and experienced by students, their families, teachers and leaders. She brought Visible Learning’s four big ideas and 11 signature practices that she learned back to her classroom.
“Personally, in my classroom, these initiatives have helped me become a more effective teacher. The relevance of learning is communicated with my students, as well as the expected criteria for success,” Bradley said. “My students are encouraged and expected to take agency of their own learning experiences. This type of transparency has created a welcoming environment and positive relationships within the classroom.”
In her role as district lead for Visible Learning and Teacher Clarity, Bradley encouraged others to share these same practices and mindsets in their classrooms, as well.
For more than two decades as a 4th-grade teacher, Bradley has also partnered with a local 4-H agent to provide community outreach and experiences outside of the classroom for the students in the district. Every fall, the 4th-graders from both schools in the county take an overnight trip, known as Environmental Camp, to North Central 4-H Camp in Nicholas County.
For weeks leading up to Environmental Camp, 4th-grade teachers from both elementary schools in the district collaborate with 4-H to plan out of the classroom learning activities for their students. They reach out to local beekeepers, bird enthusiasts and wildlife management officials to plan learning stations for students to learn more about the environment around them. They also collaborate closely with community interns to help lead activities.
The activities provide students with opportunities for hands-on and real-world learning, giving students experiences they would not have within the walls of the classroom. Bradley said the overnight camping trip is one of the things students remember most about their time in 4th grade.
Bradley said her main inspirations that she relies on in life are her faith, her family and friends, and her students and their families.
“I wouldn’t be who I am today or where I am today without those things,” Bradley said. “There are certain things in life that you feel like are a calling and here in this district, I was born and raised here. I’ve had opportunities to go other places and even if I had the desire to go other places, I am meant to be here. This is home for me.”
Bradley earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education from Morehead State University as a first-generation college graduate. She completed her Rank I certification in 2024 through the Center for Next Generation Leadership, participating in the University of Kentucky’s ChangeMakers program. Bradley is also a recipient of the Campbellsville University Excellence in Teaching Award and a Kentucky Colonel. She resides in Bath County with her husband and their two sons.
Leave A Comment