Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

I have always loved teaching. I was inspired by Miss Honey, Ms. Frizzle, and some of my own teachers. As a kid I taught dance and at school I helped in younger classes. I loved helping others learn and have fun while doing so. I got to college and loved my education courses because they put us in classrooms right away so I got to see the impact that teachers had and that my lessons had in real time.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I love integrating the arts into my classroom instruction. I created a unit of study in collaboration with our drama teacher because I saw that students weren’t understanding the Civil War. We wrote simple scripts based on the standards. I had students research a character and create a paper bag puppet of that character. They also made backgrounds and performed the play. Finally they created a museum to display the work. They were so proud and understood so much more.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I can’t even imagine that amount of money not already being budgeted for bills and groceries. Honestly we have some home projects that need to be completed. We would also love to take a family vacation.