Teacher Feature January 2026: Kelli Gary

Kelli Gary is an English teacher at Lake Braddock Middle School in Burke, Virginia. A Detroit native, she spent 10 years working as a newspaper reporter before transitioning into the classroom, where she teaches middle and high school students. Driven by a desire to help young people find their voices and give back to their communities, Kelli jumped at the opportunity three years ago to teach journalism at Lake Braddock. She now leads courses in newspaper, yearbook, and media communications, helping students tell meaningful stories with confidence and care.

Discover Kelli’s favorite tools, pro tips, and insights in the Q&A below. 

What’s your favorite StoryMaker lesson(s)? Scriptwriting. Building two-column scripts is really helpful for my students. It helps them begin to think carefully about their projects and develop a real plan for shooting/editing.

What’s a media-making tool or resource you can’t live without? I enjoy editing. This is not something I am able to do with my students, but I am willing to spend hours editing video. I especially love using FinalCut Pro. 

What’s your advice for teachers and educators just getting started on StoryMaker? Just dig in. All of the lessons build on one another. Middle school students are excited to work with the camera, so the 10-Shot Camera Challenge is a good hook!

What’s been a bright spot in teaching this year? I’ve been lucky enough to have Youth Media Producer Justin Rhodes visit my school and work directly with my students. I highly encourage educators to reach out to SRL producers. If they can’t come in person, they can often join virtually. Either way, it’s a fantastic opportunity for students to work with media professionals.

What’s a dream story you’d like to report on or a person you’d like to interview? Being of Seminole descent, I have always been interested in visiting and interviewing my family members who live in Florida. I’d love to interview one of my older relatives.

What are you currently listening to? Music, mostly. I love old-school jazz: Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, and others in that style. For podcasts, I listen to Trevor Noah. He’s smart and brings on thoughtful, interesting guests.

Fun facts: I love puzzles!

You can reach out to Kelli directly to learn more about how she’s adapted StoryMaker into her classes. Email her at: kmgary@fcps.edu