Despite Impossible S5E5: Erik Meerschaert

Episode Transcript

Tansley Stearns

Today's guest is Erik Meerschaert. Erkc is known for his positivity, his dedication to creating belonging among young students, his passion for unified sports, his love of music including Dave Matthews Band and Eminem. And he's often described as a ball of energy. Erik, or Mr. M, is also a special education teacher at Lake Orion High school and the 2026, 27 Michigan Teacher of the Year. This is Erik's story.

People who know you best will describe you as…

Erik Meerschaert

You as, you know, really it is a ball of energy. I'm going to do my best to not to move around too much here while on camera. It's something where I've done a couple different interviews and at different times I've been told I need to stop rocking in my chair because it does appear to mess with the audio a little bit. But other than that, a lot of it comes down to my positivity. I try to look at every situation and be as positive as possible, both within my, my job over at Lake Orion High School, but also kind of in my day to day life with my family.

Tansley Stearns

What's something you always wish you could do for just a little longer?

Erik Meerschaert

You know, it is one where I always wish I just had a little bit more time after some of the different events that we go to after a unified basketball game. Having a little bit more time just to hear more about everybody's experiences. It's one where I'm not sure if you're familiar with unified sports or unified basketball, but it is an opportunity for a lot of our special education students to participate with their gen ed peers out on the court at the same time. It really is a life changing experience. And after each and every one of those events, I'd always wish I just had a little bit more time to kind of hear everyone's stories and their impressions after leaving the game.

Tansley Stearns

Describe a moment when you really felt most like the leader you always dreamt you'd be.

Erik Meerschaert

You know, after kind of going back to the unified sports aspect there after their season is done. And we're able to kind of see the connections that have grown between our unified partners and our unified athletes and then how that connection goes from the court to the school community. So much of, of what we try and do in the school is to, to build that sense of belonging for our students. And this has really provided a way for us to kind of push that belonging out into the.

Tansley Stearns

When was the last time you danced so hard your feet were sore?

Erik Meerschaert

Yeah, that's, that's a funny one. A part of our movement breaks that we have in our classroom. A lot of it is based around music and dance. And it is one where, you know, modeling is a big part in our job. So if I'm going to be asking our students to get up and move and dance around, I have to make sure that I am doing that as well. So I guess that just would have been yesterday we were going ahead and, you know, dancing around the room. And we try and do that at least once or twice every single day. And students pick the song. So sometimes it may be something popular. Other times may be a song called Cat party or Pink fluffy Unicorns. You never, you know, never know what you're going to get in our room.

Tansley Stearns

What's an important insight you come back to repeatedly across situations in both your work and personal life that guides your approach to change?

Erik Meerschaert

So one of my biggest things that's really kind of my platform for this upcoming year of service I have for educators here across Michigan is belonging, recognition, and opportunity. Through all three of those different areas, we can go ahead and we can make an impact on the lives of those people around us. Everybody strives for that sense of belonging. Whether it is in a school, a classroom, a team, Whether it be at home or whether it be out in a workplace. Those that feel they belong are going to feel safer to take chances on things and to give that extra effort. And then making sure you take that time to. To recognize those efforts that are being made can go a real long way.

Tansley Stearns

If you've had a bad day, what one song or artist on your playlist lightens you up immediately?

Erik Meerschaert

You know, we were actually just talking about something similar to this at, at school here the other day. There's two types of people that, that leave the school. There's the people who leave and they don't want anything on the radio. It is pure silence leaving work. And then there is the other side that, that wants to jam out on their way home. I am a jam person right here. My music taste is very seasonal, kind of, you know, kind of some people with their coffee. Winter you get peppermint mocha. Fall the pumpkin spice latte. When we're here in the winter, it is, it is going to be a little bit more rap for me. So this time of year it's going to probably be Lose yourself by by Eminem. But then as we get into the warmer weathers, get through spring, summer, you know, Dancing Nancy's by Dave Matthews. What? Oh, big jam band fan. I think I've seen Dave about 12 times. I've been lucky enough to. I've seen OAR open up for him and Jason Mraz, so those two are kind of my hard day. Let's lighten it up a little bit.

Tansley Stearns

I don't know if you know, but I am on the top of Dave's fan club list. I don't. I don't share with people how many shows I've seen, so. High five for Dave fan club list.

Erik Meerschaert

You know, Dave always puts on a good show. Even the show's as good as it was, you know, 20 years ago when. And I still enjoy. About two summers ago, I got to take my oldest to see Dave for the first time when they were over at Pine Knob and he was like, dad, you. You really jam out to this. I was like, hey, I've. I've known all of these songs for a really long time.

Tansley Stearns

Yeah. What's something you wish you knew about growth over time in the early days of your journey?

Erik Meerschaert

I wish I could go back and realize that when you're in that moment, growth isn't always visible. Sometimes in order for you to see the growth and the impact that you're making at work or on the. The life of an individual, you have to take a step back and you have to reflect. So many times when I have felt stressed out because I feel that maybe a. A strategy or a lesson isn't working, and then I get to the end of the day, I take a step back and be like, wow, they actually got through a ton. And when the students are able to go ahead and some of those lessons that we cover are. Are still being talked about, are still being expressed days after, like, you know, I. I made an impact here. I didn't. Didn't realize it in the moment. It was invisible. But those seeds that we planted there continued to kind of grow.

Tansley Stearns

Hmm. What's one thing people wrongly assume about you?

Erik Meerschaert

Well, the biggest thing is, is because of. I am constantly moving, people seem to think that I am nervous or that I have places to go or maybe I need to use the restroom. None of that is. Is actually true. When. When I am really nervous, you have to worry more. When I am not moving, Lack of movement is when you know that I am nervous or not. In the greatest of head spaces. If I am moving, all is well. When I teach, when I present, when I'm talking, I like to move around the room. My hand movements are everywhere as I'm going. That is. That is just who I am.

Tansley Stearns

What do you enjoy doing that you don't get to do often our family.

Erik Meerschaert

I'm lucky enough we've had a place up in Alpena, Michigan for. It's been in the family for. I think this was our centennial. So this past 4th of July for. For 100 years, right on Thunder Bay. And it is my happy place. My. My Zen. Being able to go ahead and sit on the back porch, look over Lake Huron and Thunder Bay and drink a cup of coffee and just take it in. It's one of those where I know that when I'm able to go up there and do that, it kind of gets me ready for all of the adventures and hurdles that I have coming ahead. But you know, living here in metro Detroit is not a place I get to go as often as I would like.

Tansley Stearns

Who haven't you see perform live in concert that you've been planning to and haven't yet?

Erik Meerschaert

Well, I knocked one off my list this past summer. Like I said, I have a very diverse music taste. It was always on my list to go see Weird Al and I was able to go see Weird aisle over at Saginaw here this past summer with my son, which was a great show. I can only imagine, you know, 30 years ago how that show would have been, but it was great. So on my bucket list still now I would have to say is probably, probably Eminem.

Tansley Stearns

Me too. Oh my gosh. Right.

Erik Meerschaert

It is it. When I look back at kind of my music over, you know, most of my life Eminem has. Has been there and when he was touring, I was not quite old enough where it probably would have been appropriate for me to go. And then the next time, you know, being a college student, not really in a financial place to go. So if he was to tour again, that would probably be my, my T. Swift moment. I'd probably have to go ahead and pay a couple extra bucks more than I would want to to go see him.

Tansley Stearns

Yes. What's one thing that inspires hope in you?

Erik Meerschaert

You know, I'm lucky enough that I get to see it every day when I'm coming into school. My students provide me and inspire me that hope each and every day. I teach in a self contained CI classroom so my students all have a very wide array of abilities and personalities and hurdles that they overcome each and every day. Watching how they continue to persevere and grow as they are. Battling all of these things reminds me why I do what I do and reminds me that, you know, I am trying to. To make a difference and that if my students are going to come in every day and give it everything they have that I'm going to do the same.

Tansley Stearns

If you could share advice with students graduating from university, what might it be?

Erik Meerschaert

You know, one of them is don't always chase necessarily the perfect opportunity. When the opportunity for you to make a meaningful moment is there. Every hurdle, every event, everything that you are faced is an opportunity to make a difference. And how you go ahead and approach that opportunity really is going to shape what that opportunity is. So for all of our future educators who are graduating and getting into the field of education, cherish and attack every opportunity that you have to make a difference on the lives of the students and your co workers each and every day.

Tansley Stearns

What's something that still makes you nervous even though you've done it many times?

Erik Meerschaert

Well, at this point, still public speaking, talking in front of people, talking in front of a camera. It's, you know, I, as a teacher, most of my day is spent talking in front of people, but still I want, I know that time is precious time more than anything else. Whether when you look at compensation, when you look, when people are there and are willing to give you time, you want to make sure that you make that time worthwhile, that you are not wasting that individual's time because it does mean so much. And for me, when I was growing up, I had to go to speech therapy. Pretty much every letter sound, my mouth was all over the place. And even occasionally my lisp will still go ahead and kind of pop its way out and I have to mentally remind myself to position things correctly in there. But going ahead and each and every time, that sense of nervousness helps motivate me. I'm always worried that when I come to those, those presentations or when I'm talking to other, talking in front of people, if that nervousness leaves me, then at that point it's almost like some of the care of me being there leaves. So it's one of those where I really look forward to that, that sense while I'm going through it.

Tansley Stearns

Tell us about your impossible.

Erik Meerschaert

You know, my impossible is kind of helping create classrooms, schools, communities where our students truly feel they belong. Not just that they're there, not just that they are included, but that they belong genuinely connected, valued and recognized by their peers, by their communities. You know, it sounds impossible using your word there, because belonging, you know, can't be forced. It's not one of those things where you can say, I want you to go in and I want you to make sure everybody feels belong today like they're there. But it has to be built intentionally from the top down, through your culture, at the school, or in your business relationships, opportunity and leadership. That is one of those things that I've talked a lot about and is really still at the heart of my platform here. As Michigan Teacher of the Year,

Tansley Stearns

What do you look forward to most in the next 12 months?

Erik Meerschaert

I am really looking forward to going ahead and getting a chance to meet educators, visiting students here across the great state of Michigan. It is one where I am extremely blessed, blessed and privileged to have this opportunity over the next year to represent our teachers of Michigan who each and every day, no matter what influences are out there and how things are changing, they give their best each and every day to our students. And then getting the chance while I am visiting them to see the great things that our students across the state are doing. So many things are happening that we don't always hear about. And one of the things I want to make sure I do this year is use my little tiny spotlight to help spotlight some of the things they're doing.

Tansley Stearns

What do you secretly worry might stay unfinished if your impossible is not addressed?

Erik Meerschaert

I'm worried that that sense of belonging to that I really want us to continue to push for in our classrooms and our settings isn't going to continue to improve as we move throughout this next year. My worry is that we have so many young people that are out there waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to do something, and that if we don't address, you know, this impossible of belonging, then that opportunities may not arise for them in so many situations. Students, professionals, people are just waiting for that opportunity. So I'm worried that if I'm not able to kind of meet my impossible and when I'm, when I'm done, if my impossible isn't met, that those opportunities will diminish for a lot of our students and educators here in the state of Michigan.

Tansley Stearns

Who's someone else we should be talking with on the podcast?

Erik Meerschaert

You know, I'll kind of self stick to my wheelhouse here, but one of the things that I was kind of going back and thinking about was to have a unified athlete and a unified partner on as part of a podcast where they could go ahead and they could share and talk about their experiences and how it has shaped their lives, how it has helped create their sense of belonging and through that additional voice, how it can help spread unified sports and unified opportunities across the state of Michigan.

Tansley Stearns

What's your next impossible, my friend?

Erik Meerschaert

You know, I think this, this next impossible is going to be continuing to kind of spread my message here across the state. It is one where so many of our educators and our school districts are in different situations and going ahead and doing everything I can to help share my, my message and my platform with all of them and every school. That sense of belonging is, is going to look different. Some are at different places in that process. But if we can go ahead as, as a state and help push forward that sense of belonging and opportunity for not just our students, but for our educators, I think things will continue to progress positively here for us.

Tansley Stearns

Erik and I share a love of music, and musicians including Dave Matthews Band, Haza and Eminem is on my bucket list too. Holy hell. He talked about the idea of music that goes with the seasons, and I would say mine is even by the day, you know, depending on how I'm feeling. And I know this is common for many people. I am curious about how music will either help me to feel a little bit better or maybe meet me where I'm at if I wish to wallow. And I am very into the playlist for whatever opportunity exists. I do one for pizza night. I did one for my 50th birthday. I do one for C3, our all team event. I love a playlist. So cheers to playlists, friends, and to Dave.

Erik talked about how much he moves and how movement is a signal of his energy and engagement and really, really enthusiasm for life. And what's interesting is my daughter, Mackenzie, is that kinesthetic as well. I certainly am. MacKenzie's about 10x me. And my favorite story about kinesthetic learning was I played the violin starting from the time I was three. And when Mackenzie was little, I thought maybe she would enjoy playing the violin. And we rented a violin, which was very dangerous because it was her first violin lesson. She was violently moving the rented violin around, which also was her last violin lesson. And then we tried singing. And her voice teacher was just magnificent. Where her other teachers had really complained a lot to us about her movement, this teacher looked at Mackenzie in the eye and said, mackenzie, we're going to sing a really low note. I want you to go as low as you can, and I want you to bend down all the way to the ground. And then she said, now, Mackenzie, I'd like you to sing a really high note, and I want you to stretch all the way to the sky. And there she was, completely engaged. And she recognized in Mackenzie that she was a kinesthetic learner, not that she just was a bundle of energy. And she harnessed that energy to help her to learn. And I just thought that that was such a magnificent, not only observation of belonging, how a kiddo needs to be seen for who they are, and then really harnessing that type of learning to ensure that she got better at singing. It was great. Yeah.

Erik talked about the moments that we can really cherish in life and how important that is. And, you know, in my later years, now that I'm 50, I do think that I am better than I ever have been of being able to be present. If I could have talked to myself in my 20s and 30s and even 40s to an extent, to just seize the opportunity, especially with the people that I love to be in the moment moment, I. I wish I could have taken that advice. I think I'm better at it now than I ever have been. And these moments happen every single day. And I do think Erik's right, that the cognizance to seize those opportunities, to maybe move a project forward, to change the world a little bit more, to make somebody feel seen. You know, one of the things that I've been attempting to do this year, which was the advice of someone that I listen to on podcasts a lot, is to tell people when you notice something great about them. And that can feel a little uncomfortable when you see a stranger wearing a great hat or a great pair of shoes. And I've been doing it now for more than six months, and every single time has been a positive experience. So I will leave you with, when you see somebody doing something really great, tell them it's awesome. People deserve to know.