Lauren Seiler

I became a teacher because I wanted to be someone I needed when I was younger. I love connecting with my kids and trying to make literature relevant to them. Also, that literature is forever something that we can learn from. Even on the hard days, seeing a kid have a safe space in my room is worth it all.

This past October, my students and I read "The Yellow Wallpaper". While reading, the students asked guided questions to keep them engaged. At some point during a class, the kids stopped writing the answer because they were so engaged. Some kids started coloring yellow wallpaper and putting it around the room. In the end, the gasp of her crawling around the room finally gave in to her madness with whoops of celebration for her liberating herself was wonderful to see that they got it.

I would use some of the money in my classrooms. My kids use blankets every day in my room, and buying new blankets would help make my classroom culture cozy. I would also like to pay off some credit card debt and go on a vacation to rest my brain from all my hard-working school year.