Although sixth grade English teacher Kyle Schlett’s time at Trinity Prep has been brief, it was very memorable. While Schlett only started teaching at Trinity at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, his teaching career began 24 years ago.

Forming bonds with coworkers and seeing students from his previous year stop by are all big parts of why Schlett enjoys teaching. He has found each sixth grade class to be enjoyable in their desire to learn.

“(They have) unabashed joy, and an honesty of their experience,” Schlett said.

Schlett initially chose to pursue teaching because it combined his love of acting with a stable career. He also saw a parallel between English and theater.

“There is a level of teaching that’s always performance,” Schlett said. “There is that kind of fun and interaction.”

According to Schlett, his love for teaching stemmed from his love for theater and the side of creativity that comes with it. English specifically allows for creativity, which he enjoys.

“I like acting,” Schlett said. “(Teaching) was a combination of a thing I loved and a thing that I could make some money and a living doing and the promise of being able to write.”

Schlett moved to Orlando with his wife in the hopes to revitalize his creative side. However, when his love for teaching started to reignite, he landed the job at Trinity. It was perfect timing as he was looking for a full-time profession.

“It’s like unrequited love, and you think I’m done with love, but maybe you’re not,” Schlett said. “Maybe you’re just lying to yourself about being done with it. I love the creative side of me. I would always love to have an expression of it.”

Schlett’s curriculum is something he has perfected over time through his selection of genres of books and authors as well as engaging ways to teach how to write essays.

“I always like having a diversity of genres in addition to a diversity of voices,” Schlett said. “I like having different kinds of texts that (students can) get good at reading. That’s like the whole job, decoding symbols is kind of what we’re about here.”

To flourish in their reading, writing and public speaking is a big goal that Schlett hopes each student will achieve. When students take risks and accomplish new goals, Schlett feels fulfilled, and those are the memories he will take away from his time at Trinity.

“(During) last year’s student-led discussion I encouraged my students to find their own discussion question, which they almost never do,” Schlett said. “Part way through (a student) asked can we just talk about this and I said, ‘Sure, go ahead,’ and it was just a great, lively discussion.”

Although Schlett’s time at Trinity is ending, he is excited for the new opportunity that awaits him next year. Schlett will be moving to Egypt to continue teaching English in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will allow him to continue his passion for teaching in a way that he has never previously tried or experienced.

Schlett hopes to leave behind memories and interactions that his students will have forever and that they take some helpful advice to get them through their following years of school.

“You can’t do something well, unless you’re willing to do it badly,” Schlett said.