Breeze Raxter

Tell us why you became a teacher

I knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was young. The way my own teachers made me feel was a big reason why. They made me feel smart, seen, and creative. Even when I struggled, I had teachers that made me believe I could overcome. I knew I wanted to do that for other kids. Instead of being yelled at and made to feel stupid, I wanted kids to hear love in my voice and the encouragement to keep going.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I had switched schools and was going to be teaching math. I was scared and had no idea what to do. I had always felt I was horrible at math. So when I began, I let my 6th graders know I was scared. It was their first year at middle school and we could all feel the nerves. One kid raised their hands and when called on said” well we can all be scared together until we aren’t.” It was what we all needed and we went through that year being brave together and ending the year stronger than before.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use to invest in some property that my family could use for making memories and spending our summers.