Northwood Spotlight: Yashmi Malik
4th Grade Teacher

What grade/area do you teach/support and how long have you been in education?

I have been in education for two-and-a-half years and was at Northwood as a special education paraprofessional for two of those years. I worked in the Resource Room supporting students with various needs and loved my time there! I just recently completed my Master's in Teaching at Western Governors University as well as my student teaching in 3rd grade at Northwood. Currently, I am subbing across the district.*

*Since this article was published, Ms. Malik now teaches 4th Grade at Northwood.

Where are you originally from and what brought you to Mercer Island schools?

I graduated from Mercer Island High School and though I currently live off Island, my mom has worked in the district as a paraprofessional for 10+ years and she introduced me to the district.

Talk about your immediate family and pets.

My family is originally from India and we came to Washington when I was ten years old. I started in Mercer Island schools when I was in 5th grade. Currently, my parents live in Sammamish and I have a younger brother who works and lives in California. I have no pets but I live with my boyfriend of five years who I met in college. 

What are some small things that make your day better?

Smiles and laughter! I also love moving my body and getting a good workout in. In addition, I am very extroverted, so being social always puts a smile on my face. 

January 2021