Committed to the Hemlock Community
Growing up in a military family, Buchanan Miles always dreamed of continuing the family tradition. However, it was his high school marching band teacher who first envisioned that he would excel as an educator. She encouraged him to try teaching middle school color guard at just 18 years old. After doing well, she encouraged him to take the next step to become a classroom teacher. “She told me, if you can teach middle school, you can work with anyone. She suggested I substitute teach to get the experience.” 
Miles received a full-time teaching position at Hemlock after working as a long-term substitute and completing his teaching credential. Twenty-four years later, Miles has been awarded several honors, such as the 2022-2023 Vacaville Unified School District Teacher of the Year, and KUIC named him the Teacher of the Month.
He’s taught several grade levels at Hemlock, including Kindergarten, 4th, 5th, and 6th. Miles is also very committed to promoting a positive school culture by leading the student council, planning the monthly staff luncheons, and hosting his infamous haunted house for the Hemlock Harvest Festival. “It’s for the kids and the teachers. It helps create a positive atmosphere at the school. Anything for the kids.”
As a veteran teacher at Hemlock, Miles remains just as passionate about his job as when he started 24 years ago. “I love watching them learn,” he said. “It’s the connections I make with the students and their families, the learning experiences they get, and taking my experiences and giving it to them as well.”
Miles recalls an experience with a 2nd-grade student who greeted him in the hallway by saying, “Hello, teacher!” and Miles replied by saying, “Hello!” The student replied in amazement that he was the first teacher to say hello to him. These experiences motivate Miles to use his sense of humor to build relationships with the students and bring the best out of them. He takes pride in getting the opportunity to be a special part of the students' lives.
Miles is steadfast. Hemlock will be his community for the remainder of his career. “You learn everyone’s names here,” he said. “Hemlock has a special place in my heart.”
When asked what he hopes his students will remember him for when they are adults, he says adamantly, “That I care. They have a voice in my classroom. Also, my students were able to explore, examine, question, create, imagine, discover, celebrate, grow, and learn in a positive classroom environment.”