Teacher hopes to share passion for music with students

A product of the Wyoming education system hopes to inspire young minds, as Cody Sheldon becomes the new music teacher at Saratoga Elementary School.

Sheldon is graduate of Meeteese High School in Meeteese, Wyo. He attended Northwest College in Powell, then moved on to the University of Wyoming. He studied music education at both schools, and did his student teaching in Cheyenne.

As a first-year teacher, Sheldon said came to Saratoga Elementary because he was looking for a job.

"This job just sort of fell into my lap," he said.

One of the draws of Saratoga Elementary, Sheldon said, was that he gets to see the students every day, which is very rare for music programs in Wyoming.

"It's so nice to be able to have that because we can accomplish a lot this year," Sheldon said.

He had never been to Saratoga before he accepted the job, but thus far, he said he really enjoys the town.

While a student himself, Sheldon said he originally wanted to teach music at the college level. However, after interacting with younger students, he decided he wanted to instill his passion for music in elementary students.

"I really want to get the love of music established at a young age," Sheldon said. "Because then they are more likely to follow through with it."

As most new teachers, the biggest challenge Sheldon was facing in beginning of the school year was getting his room organized. He said he spent the two weeks before school begins getting organized and preparing for the students to arrive.

Sheldon said he is most excited about meeting all of his new students.

Outside of the classroom, Sheldon said he enjoys writing music, writing short stories and hiking.