Demetrio Manalo

Tell us why you became a teacher

I started to take care of children with disabilities, then i worked as a guest teacher for exceptional children, teaching young minds and making them feel they are loved and taken care of whenever they are in school is my ultimate goal as a teacher. It is a rewarding experience to see their smile everyday. I always strive to make sure they will come to school to learn and have fun. Nurturing them and making them feel loved, safe and important is our goal.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

The most memorable for my teaching experience is when they are calling me daddy, It was a heart warming experience when I went up the stage, all my kids went up to the stage and started to hug me, everyone was looking at us and saw how strong my bond and relationship with students are. It is a rewarding experience that they look up to me as someone they are comfortable and they fell safe to be with and they love their journey of learning in class with me.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I will help other kids who are members of struggling family to have something special whenever they are at school with me. I will also wanted to help a Pre-K student who suffers from a heart problem that I service everyday to feed onto her tube and clean her catheter.