Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities. I have always had a huge and kind heart towards children and it made perfectly good sense to become a teacher! I love to see the aha moments that my students have when they complete a new task or learn a new skill! I also became a teacher to help mold and shape the tiniest of humans into children who show great compassion towards one another and who truly care for those around them.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

The most memorable teaching experience for me is when my nonverbal student yelled at me for not letting her try to write her name on her paper.This is a skill we had been working on for a while.She would observe me writing her name and then we would trace it.We were running out of time so I decided to write this student’s name for her.She looked me in the eye, yelled at me then took the pencil and attempted to write her name.She was successful and was so proud of herself!

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won $25,000 I would work with my school to create a small sensory gym that any student would be welcomed to use. The sensory gym would be a really great outlet for any student that needs it. Often times many behaviors that are encountered is due to a student needing some type of input.