Keri Hatos

Tell us why you became a teacher

As a single mom at the time, I thought about being a teacher so I could have the same schedule as my daughter. I soon realized that teaching is so much more than that! I learned quickly that children can teach me as much as I teach them. It’s not always about the test scores or content, it’s about building relationships. It’s about the joy and excitement they find in the smallest things and the way they work hard for me because they know I truIy care.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

During my second year of teaching, I invited my firefighter boyfriend to my kindergarten class during fire prevention week. I told the class firefighter Jason was my “friend”. About 2 weeks later, I got engaged to Jason and when I showed up with a ring on my finger and told the class who I was going to get married to, one boy shouted out, “But you JUST met him!”. It’s a story my husband and I still laugh about!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would definitely use a portion of it to cater lunch for the amazing staff at our school because it takes a village to teach little minds. Honestly, I would put the rest of it towards a new car to use for my hour commute each day.