Andrew Cotten

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because it was a natural fit: I loved writing stories, reading books, and working at camp. But, I’m taken with “became” vs. “becoming.” Kurt Vonnegut entreats us to treat “becoming” something not as a moment in which there was a before and an after, but one of constant evolution: “experience becoming.” I’m “becoming” a teacher every day by being a perpetual learner, innovating the craft of teaching, and always meeting my students, each new batch, wherever they are

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

After two years of wearing myself thin by “performing” more than teaching, I discovered I was burning out and had very little energy to share with my loved ones. After a particularly exhausting lesson in which I was being observed, a mentor said my energy was like the water in a cup: don’t go home with an empty cup. I do not have to be boisterous to be effective—students can see through energy, and while they appreciate the novelty, they respect and trust passion more

What would you do with the $25,000?

My students write Children’s Books, but the cost to print is astronomical! We can hardly afford one copy, let alone one copy for each of the schools in our district. With what money is left, I would finally build the Hobbit Reading Hole in my front yard: think Little Free Library meets the comforts of a Hobbit hole. Free to use and open to all, especially to serve second breakfasts!