Mickey Steimle, English Department
Member of the Faculty, 1982–2014
Arriving in 1982, a daughter of teachers, a mother of two girls under eight, and already an experienced teacher herself, Mickey Steimle had two connections to the School: her sister Sheila in the English department, and her beloved husband, Chip, a graduate from 1965 with strong ties to Milton. Her first weeks were a tad overwhelming: teaching Middle School boys grammar in the then language skills department. Mickey entered the room each day to find a new boy hiding behind the door or stuck in a trashcan. From the start, Mickey enjoyed her Milton school ties, but she equally enjoyed the challenges of teaching.
She soon joined the English department, found a vintage of dear colleagues, including Fran McInnis and the Fitzpatricks, and saw her daughters flourish in the Upper School. After 13 years, Kim ’92 and Erin ’95 had graduated, and Mickey was a fixture in Class IV English and a recent nominee for the Williams College Outstanding Teacher Award. Unwilling to rest, she became a class dean, shepherding students with a gentle, firm hand. Can’t you see her now, 25 years later, sitting on the bleachers with Larry, clipboard in hand, each “Good morning, honey” as bright as the next? Her students can write librettos about her tough standards but also the fun they had with Ms. Steimle: her annual Othello hoax and her love of scavenger hunts, dramatic performances, and laughter in all weather.
Despite this interviewer’s best attempts to shake her from her contented, retrospective perch, she remains clear-headed and sunny: She gave much and received much from Milton in an exchange always willing and generous. In the department’s hallways, we will forever hear her calling to students: “I am free third, fifth, sixth, and eighth if you need help . . . and I am free after that, too!” For her, the hard work of teaching was never too hard; her teaching appears as natural as it is vigorous. Was 30 years of commuting onerous? No, it was an opportunity to talk to her girls and reflect. Were a few shoulders colder and chauvinistic when she arrived? No, she accepted her colleagues, and they her, in good time. The only way to sway Mickey from her big-hearted daily rounds is to dangle some injustice nearby; if she senses unfairness or impropriety: Annie, bar the door!
Hers is a career to be admired, and if we are lucky, imitated: Mickey gave her smarts freely and never applied conditions to her affections. From the start, she heard the call of the classroom and, knowing its amazing demands, answered it happily. That happiness — its own legacy — is now ours. Mickey, for these 32 happy years, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
by Tarim Chung
English Department Chair