Melissa Milner is originally from Massachusetts, but started her elementary teaching career in 1991 in California. She was a theater minor in college and has acted, directed, been on set crews and tech crews, worked on props and costumes, etc. Her love of the arts is utilized in her planning and teaching daily. Most importantly, Melissa’s students get to experience the power of both individualism and teamwork that inherently lies within the performing arts.Melissa is also an avid podcast listener and curator of teaching ideas. Metaphors and parallels to teaching invade her head constantly. The podcast came to life when Melissa read A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away: My Fifty Years Editing Hollywood Hits—Star Wars, Carrie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Mission: Impossible, and More by Paul Hirsch. As she read this amazing book, the parallels to teaching hit her upside the head and she couldn’t restrain the urge to share the metaphors with more than just her husband and cats.Melissa is a master teacher. However, she is not an expert in filmmaking or any other profession in which she will curate ideas. Melissa’s goal with her podcast is to research and share parallels that will hopefully improve our teaching and increase student engagement and achievement.