Jennifer Hook

Tell us why you became a teacher

When I was young, my teachers always put me in the hall for talking too much. And one day I came home from second grade and I told my mom I wanted to be a teacher because I thought that kids should think their teacher likes them even if they don’t. And I never changed my thoughts from that. I went to college to be a teacher and have taught in three states and many districts. As a teacher, I think the most important thing is to advocate for my students and to help them advocate for themselves.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I have so many memorable teaching experiences. I think one of the most impactful for me was when I was teaching in a community that had a Japanese population. Two of my Japanese students were having such a hard time acclimating into the community the classroom, so I went back to school to learn some Japanese. When I came to school trying to speak their language, they immediately began to jump right into the classroom and started communicating with everyone. They decided to keep trying!

What would you do with the $25,000?

It’s hard to say. I would probably share it with some schools in need of books and resources. Or maybe to help a group of teachers learn Spanish. I like to give back to the community. I might share it with foster parents so they can provide more to the kids.