Helen Partrick

Tell us why you became a teacher

I grew up playing with younger cousins and planning activities for all of us. I enjoy just watching children and hearing their words. I was also raised by a grandmother and mother who were teachers so I got hooked early in life!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

There are so many, some funny and some sad. However, many lessons that I learned from children helped to mold and shape me as a teacher. I read The Giving Tree by Shel Ilverstein once to my first graders and related how I could identify with the tree as a mother and my feelings for my children. When I finished, one of my little boys was crying because his mother had abandoned him. I learned always to refer to your family as those who raise and care for you and to be sensitive to others.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I’m not sure but I would like to put it towards helping others as much as possible. Maybe a few repairs to my home…