Bret Mischlich’s teaching journey began long before he made his way to D38. In fact, it started long before he was even an adult.
At 10-years-old, Mischlich started teaching taekwondo as a way to earn money for his training. Years later, an unexpected opportunity led him to Palmer Lake Elementary (PLES), and he’s been teaching PE there for more than 20 years. He earned his undergraduate degree in K-12 physical education and a master’s degree in health, physical education, recreation, and dance.
After a brief stint teaching in Colorado Springs, Mischlich landed his role in Palmer Lake. He’s also a Palmer Lake resident. “As soon as I began teaching at PLES, I developed the desire to reside in this community,” Mischlich said. “Palmer Lake is one of the most beautiful mountain communities in Colorado, and I quickly fell in love with the natural surroundings.”
Mischlich is someone who gets genuinely excited about physical activity, and says his students feed off his passion and positive energy. “Physical activity is one of the most important components of an elementary child’s development because it supports the whole child—body, brain, and behavior,” Mischlich said. “In elementary school, movement is essential, and research consistently shows that physically active children perform better academically.”
For Mischlich, a big part of physical education is dance, and it’s something he incorporates into his instruction. “Having rhythmic sense is essential for success in any sport, and I believe that learning to dance will supplement one’s skills in all other types of physical activity. For myself, dance has specifically helped me to become a better taekwondo athlete,” Mischlich said. Each year before the annual barn dance at PLES, he teaches students a line dance.
Mischlich has been a lifelong student of taekwondo and is now a 4th degree Kukkiwon certified black belt. His list of accomplishments includes winning the 2022 AAU National Taekwondo Championships and becoming a U.S. National Team Member. He also won gold at the 2023 Asia Pacific Masters Games, and the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Masters Cup International tournaments. He says Taekwondo is a way of life and his passion.
“During my interview at PLES in 2004, I was asked if there was anything unique that I could bring to the community. Taekwondo was my immediate answer,” Mischlich said. After being hired, he launched the Tri-Lakes Taekwondo after-school program at PLES, a program that continues today.
***This content was first published in “Monument Living” and “Palmer Divide Living” magazines powered by Best Version Media. D38 is proud to partner with these community publications to feature our students and staff members.
