Mike Cihla
Anchor
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Mike came to Savannah and WTOC-TV in September 2000.
Mike is an award winning journalist who before Savannah, worked as an anchor/reporter at TV stations in Knoxville, Tennessee, Austin, Minnesota (Spamtown USA) and Sioux Falls, S.D.
Mike was born and raised in the small town of Lonsdale, Minn. He graduated from St. Cloud State University, (MN) in 1993, with a BS in Mass Commmunication, Minors in Political Science and Speech.
He LOVES living in Savannah because of it's beauty, history, and mild winters (But after growing up in Minnesota winters, anywhere else is mild.) Join Mike weeknights for THE News at Noon, 4pm, 6pm and 7pm on WTOC.
Updated: Sep. 21, 2022 at 4:17 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Amanda Sanders Kindergarten class at Sand Hill Elementary is working on their numbers and counting.
Updated: Sep. 14, 2022 at 6:55 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
The gift of reading can open up new worlds for a student. and this week’s WTOC Top teacher is trying to do just that for her students in Darien.
Updated: Sep. 7, 2022 at 6:53 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
When you find something you love to do you stick with it.
Updated: Aug. 31, 2022 at 6:49 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Some times inspiration comes from a number of different sources but all can help lead you on the path for your life’s work.
Updated: Aug. 24, 2022 at 6:57 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Students are back in school and so are the sweet sounds of music.
Updated: Aug. 17, 2022 at 6:57 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Many people singing the praises of this week’s Top Teacher Hannah Hutcheson.
Updated: May. 20, 2022 at 12:30 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
These first students have come a long ways since they started this school year. Helped along by their teacher Nicole Knoblauch at Hesse k-8 school in Savannah.
Updated: May. 18, 2022 at 6:56 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
It’s almost time to the end the school year, but before the student’s head home for summer, WTOC has one last teacher to recognize.
Updated: May. 11, 2022 at 7:46 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
The students at Statesboro High School are excited that their teacher Lee Sulham received this week’s WTOC Top Teacher.
Updated: May. 4, 2022 at 3:51 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Practice makes perfect in Rachel Stephens 3rd grade class at South Effingham Elementary School.
Updated: Apr. 27, 2022 at 4:40 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Music is life, that’s why our hearts have beats and one choir teacher is hoping her students have huge hearts while making beautiful music together.
Updated: Apr. 20, 2022 at 6:51 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
She was born and raised in Savannah and gets to teach what she loves in the classroom and on stage.
Updated: Apr. 13, 2022 at 6:49 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Sierra Roberts teaches 2nd grade at Joseph Martin Elementary School in Hinesville. Roberts says her class is like one big family.
Updated: Apr. 6, 2022 at 2:15 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
It takes a lot of patience to be a Pre-K teacher, as the students are going to school for the first time.
Updated: Mar. 30, 2022 at 6:57 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Special needs students need a special kind of teacher, who can give them the support and sometimes space they need to succeed. Meet Debra Phillips from Southeast Bulloch Middle School.
Updated: Mar. 23, 2022 at 6:59 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Bailey Thornton is reading Mr. Popper’s Penguins with her 4th grade class at Calvary Day School in Savannah.
Updated: Mar. 16, 2022 at 4:06 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
The WTOC Top Teacher award was a nice surprise for Amy Keating, who teaches second grade at Memorial Day School in Savannah.
Updated: Mar. 2, 2022 at 7:56 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
Debra Hammer is reading to her kindergarten class at First Christian Academy in Richmond Hill.
Updated: Feb. 23, 2022 at 4:33 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
What better place to live and teach students about the tides and the sea breeze than right here along the coast.
Updated: Feb. 16, 2022 at 2:38 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
Sydnee Helms always knew she wanted to be a teacher and for the last nine years has been.
Updated: Feb. 9, 2022 at 4:37 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
She grew up in Baxley and is sharing her love of music with her students in her hometown.
Updated: Feb. 2, 2022 at 4:34 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
She’s passionate about her job and tries to make learning as fun as possible for her students. Meet this week’s WTOC Top Teacher, Rachel Harewood from Tattnall County.
Updated: Jan. 26, 2022 at 6:55 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
“If they don’t feel comfortable, they are not going to come in here to do the work to start with.”
Updated: Jan. 19, 2022 at 3:36 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
She was born and raised in Screven County and teaching is her dream job.
Updated: Jan. 12, 2022 at 3:59 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
With a new calendar year, it’s always fun to look back at the past year.
Updated: Jan. 5, 2022 at 4:43 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
It’s a huge transition for a child to go from elementary school to middle school. This week’s WTOC Top teacher tries to help her students bridge that gap by being a guide for their learning.
Updated: Dec. 29, 2021 at 4:23 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
LuAnne Cromley teaches second grade at Bryan County Elementary School.
Updated: Dec. 22, 2021 at 2:40 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
“In my classroom, one of the things we don’t say is can’t, we say we can. It may take some a little bit longer but they all can do it,” Ansley McCarty said.
Updated: Dec. 15, 2021 at 3:57 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
Jan Avila doesn’t always like the spotlight.
Updated: Dec. 8, 2021 at 5:26 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
When you wake up in the morning and head to work... some call it a job, others would say it’s their calling.
Updated: Dec. 1, 2021 at 5:35 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
Teachers change the world one child at a time. They hope to inspire and support their students to make their mark in a positive way.
Updated: Nov. 17, 2021 at 2:21 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
Anita Taylor is teaching her Pre-k students about butterflies and other things at Gadsden Elementary School in Savannah.
Updated: Nov. 10, 2021 at 3:32 PM EST
|By Mike Cihla
Elementary school teachers want their students to learn while having fun.
Updated: Nov. 3, 2021 at 3:57 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Home is where the heart is, and for some teachers their heart is in the classroom. Meet Katherine Adams, this week’s WTOC Top Teacher.
Updated: Oct. 27, 2021 at 6:56 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
These children are performing a type of surgery, cutting away letters to make contractions.
Updated: Oct. 20, 2021 at 5:57 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Angela Stewart wants nothing but the best for her students.
Updated: Oct. 13, 2021 at 6:40 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
This week’s WTOC Top Teacher is a Georgia native but moved to Hinesville just three years ago with his wife, who is a military service member stationed at Fort Stewart.
Updated: Oct. 6, 2021 at 9:35 AM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Words in a book can have different meaning depending on your perspective and experience. This week’s WTOC Top Teacher tries to open the world to her students.
Updated: Sep. 29, 2021 at 6:35 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
To get a student to learn, a teacher needs to build trust with that student and show that they care just as much as the student.
Updated: Sep. 22, 2021 at 4:13 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Blessed are our teachers. They try to make a difference each day in our children’s lives.
Updated: Sep. 8, 2021 at 3:06 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
This school year has been anything but normal, but one Chatham County teacher is glad she gets to see her students face-to-face.
Updated: Sep. 1, 2021 at 5:25 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
“I just want to see that light bulb come on where our students are excited to learn,” Michael Bell said.
Updated: Aug. 25, 2021 at 3:27 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Ernita Greene-Brown teaches 4th and 5th grade special education students at Hodge Elementary School in Savannah.
Updated: Aug. 18, 2021 at 3:56 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
“Everything gets them excited. They love to learn, they come in everyday ready to go.”
Updated: May. 19, 2021 at 5:50 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
“It’s never a dull moment in 1st grade. And that’s what I love about it.”
Updated: May. 12, 2021 at 3:06 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Heather Redd knows that the sense of play helps her Pre-K students learn at Windsor Forest Elementary School.
Updated: May. 5, 2021 at 2:51 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
A teacher needs to adapt to their classroom. This year, teachers have done a lot of adapting to say the least.
Updated: Apr. 28, 2021 at 7:31 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
We had a special surprise waiting outside West Chatham Elementary School for 1st grade teacher Barbara Harris as she was named a WTOC Top Teacher.
Updated: Apr. 21, 2021 at 2:39 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
Math can be a tough subject in school, but so important because we work with numbers every day.
Updated: Apr. 14, 2021 at 3:41 PM EDT
|By Mike Cihla
This week’s WTOC Top Teachers motivation is to make his students the best they can be. Meet Kipp Manning from Long County Schools.
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