Katelyn Root

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I want to put good into a world where so much bad is taking place. I believe that children are the future, and we have the power to teach them things that can change the world. It feels pretty crazy to think of it this way, but our world is focused too much on competition, greed, and power. If we can teach students to care about the communities they are apart of, they can really make an impact!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was recently. I have a student who faces challenges in the classroom (stealing things, being unkind, and hard to work work). I have been teaching SEL skills to the entire class throughout the year to indirectly discuss these issues, and strengthen our community. After one of the lessons this year, the student came up to me. She said I was the only teacher she has ever had who truly understand her, and that she is going to try being more kind!

What would you do with the $25,000?

With $25,000, I would be able to spend money on lots of fun projects that I do with my students throughout the year. One of the most fun things I do with my students is "lunch bunch." Each week, I have lunch with half of my class. I use this time to teach Social Emotional Learning lessons to my students, to help give them skills that I feel like are needed most in our classroom community at that time. It is extremely fun and valuable time spent, and we do a lot of projects together.