Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I always wanted to work with children. I instantly became passionate about filling young minds with knowledge. There’s something about having a positive impact on students that drives me to become better for them everyday.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable experience was a time 2 years ago when I had a non verbal student. She pointed at things instead of asking for them. Everyday I worked very hard in getting her to use verbal language to communicate. It took a lot of role modeling. Then one day when I asked her, Would you like some help opening your milk? She said, Yes! This was a huge step, and after that yes her speech took off. Her parents still send me pictures of her and thank me to this day.

What would you do with the $25,000?

With the 25,000 I would use it for classroom materials. Each year I spend my personal money on purchasing materials, books, centers for my students.