Brian Zavoda

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because initially I had no plans to have children. This was a method in order to spread my knowledge; not only that, but also to reach a much broader group than just my own children. To pass along life lessons that I feel students need to know; to show them that just because they struggle in a topic, that does not mean it has to be a closed door to them. Throughout my schooling, I struggled with Algebra and beyond; it just never clicked with me.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Seeing my students come back, hearing about their success stories. Anytime I have a student come to me, show me what they have done, it just reaffirms why I do what I do. I have been a Special Education teacher for 20+ years; if I manage to reach even one kid a year, that has been 20 kids that I have impacted. Specifically, a student that started in a behavioral special education program, that has gone on to make his own party business where it caters to celebrities. That is amazing.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would like to invest it into my classroom. As we are a class that quite often is overlooked, given the students no one wants, and funding tends to never reach, I would want to give my students access to modern tools that will allow them to be better prepared for the world of today. Between drones, VR, and all the other new technology that is up and coming, I would want them to have just as much of a chance at being successful in their lives as their peers.