Jessica Lafler

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I love my first grade teacher! I wanted to be just like her! She taught me to read and I still love reading. Now I am able to teach my students to read and instill a love for reading in them as well.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was helping one of my struggling readers grow into a more confident reader and have all around better confidence as a student. This student shared with me that she wanted to be a teacher just like me. It brought tears to my eyes and seemed like such a full circle event.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would invest some of it into my classroom library to keep up with new trends and interests of my students. Then I would invest some of it for the education of my daughter who is 4 years old and just learning to read.