Erin Cantor

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I wanted to create a positive impact on the lives of children who really needed it. I struggled with mental health as a child, and I wanted to help students who were also struggling. I entered the world of special education because I get to inspire a love of learning when learning is sometimes a herculean task and I get to teach students skills, like reading, who otherwise may not learn those skills. Also, teaching social/emotional populations is never boring!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

The memory of the first time my student read a word has stayed with me. By second grade he still didn't know his letter sounds because of a severe learning disability and because he would sometimes engage in challenging behavior to get out of work (e.g., flipping desks and aggressing at teachers). Within two months he knew enough letter sounds to decode (sound out) his first word: bat. He often complained about not knowing how to read but that day I got to tell him, "you just read!"

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would donate $3,000 to the Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health (DEBH), a charity focused on supporting students with emotional/behavioral disorders. I would put $2,000 towards my classroom, buying things to support students such as sensory equipment, technology to enable them to listen to music when they are dysregulated, and materials for our science experiments. The rest I would put toward my future wedding and house.