Melissa (Radtke) Wheat

Class of 2000

Role: English | Social Studies | Advisor

Traverse City Christian School is, in a word, ‘family’, and in Melissa Wheat’s case that’s literally true. As a student, Melissa had many influencers, not the least of whom was her mother, Judy Radtke, who still teaches Algebra and Calculus at TC Christian. Judy was profiled in the Fall issue of The Messenger.

“Mom always said this was the best job in town,” recalled Melissa. With such affirmation, along with the mentorship she received from her teachers at TC Christian, it’s little surprise Melissa chose to follow in her mother’s footsteps to teach at TCCS. “God threw me into teaching...literally! I went to school to be an attorney and later worked for a Judge.” While finishing college and law school,. Melissa and her husband, Brent, started a family. After practicing law for seven years, a career change fell in Melissa’s lap. “One day, I was asked to fill in for the 8th grade English teacher at TC Christian who was on maternity leave, and then a week or two later, was asked to teach 7th and 8th grade social studies.” Before long, Melissa was a regular at her old school.

“I learned how to teach and began to figure out lesson plans within a month of school starting. The next year I taught 7th and 8th grade math and algebra along with the social studies classes.” In 2020, Melissa realized teaching was a career she really wanted to develop, so she took the leap and earned her Masters in Secondary Education. TC Christian today is different from Melissa’s first years at the school. The dress code has been modified, meaning no more compulsory dresses on Chapel days. Classes are fuller and the school is bigger. “Back then, TCCS only accommodated Junior and Senior High. The Elementary school came later.” For Melissa, coming to a Christian school as a student was a breath of fresh air from her experiences elsewhere.

Melissa (in yellow) on her Senior Mission Trip to Jamaica, with classmates (from left) Mike Bush, Christina Harvey, Kristin Waligorski, and Judy Radtke (Teacher)

“Our Principal was an amazing man with a big heart who followed God in everything,” she said. “Our teachers challenged us, and though they were tough and expected effort and excellence, they also had grace and kindness. They knew who we were as people and could tell if we weren’t ‘getting it,’ so they made an extra effort to help us find a way through the problems. My teachers instilled in me a love for history and the classics, and they really helped me dive into the books we read.”

Then and now, she sees TC Christian as a school that runs against the current and stands up for what is right. “I have seen students who came for the great education, and in the process, were positively changed by the Christian environment.”

Today, Melissa teaches 7th and 8th grade English and social studies. She and her high school sweetheart, Brent Wheat, were married in 2004 and they have three children, all students at TC Christian: Zack in 7th grade, Reagan in 5th grade, and Evan in 1st grade. A highlight of the academic year for Melissa is the Freshman field trip to Washington, D.C. During the trip, the students get to experience first-hand how the government works. Local Congressman, Jack Bergman, hosts the students and leads them around the Capitol including the legislative chambers. “It just brings everything I try to teach them to life,” says Melissa. Seeing the students reactions as they experience the Holocaust Museum has been especially powerful. “There is a quote on the wall at the Remembrance Hall and I always try to take the students’ pictures in front of it as a poignant reminder of what I am trying to instill in them through my teaching.” The inscription on the wall is taken from the Old Testament and says the following: “Only guard yourself and guard your soul carefully, lest you forget the things your eyes saw, and lest these things depart your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make them known to your children, and to your children’s children.” Deuteronomy 4:9. The conversations and group discussions following that somber tour are poignant and thought provoking, and remain some of Melissa’s most memorable moments as a teacher.

In addition to being a busy mom, wife, and school teacher, Melissa helps with the Student Council, plans and leads the annual Freshman trip to Washington, DC, and is the Junior class advisor. Husband, Brent, along with her parents, coach the TC Christian Bowling teams, so Melissa often finds herself helping out there as well.

Despite her busy schedule, Melissa wouldn’t have it any other way. “I love teaching and guiding my students,” she says. “I enjoy having discussions about past and current events and watching the kids process the world and make their own decisions. It’s such a joy to see my students, talk with them, counsel them, teach them, and learn from them. It’s the individual conversations and the class discussions that mean the most.”

Melissa’s teaching philosophy is straightforward: the needs of the student come first. She tries to meet students where they are and demands academic excellence within their capabilities. “I love the ‘a-ha!’ moments when something clicks with students, but more than that I love the interaction.”

Melissa freely admits that education is a hard career. She explains for those entering the field that they need to understand teaching can be exhausting, both mentally and physically. “Don’t teach for the summers off. That will get you on the wrong track. Do it with the right heart,“ she says, “and your kids will get into your soul and they will change you. That is worth every minute!”

(L to R) Melissa, Evan, Zack, Reagan, and Brent