Lauren Wood

Tell us why you became a teacher

I found a passion playing clarinet with my high school band--creating music with my peers was the most rewarding experience I had. I love being able to share this opportunity with my students now. Playing an instrument and creating music is a process that comes from within a student--in our modern age of having answers at our fingertips, I enjoy teaching a skill that does not require a computer, but requires dedication, commitment, and creativity from my students.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I had a student struggling to play trombone. Two months in to the year she came to me said "so if I put it in 1st position, that's and F" and then played the note. I told her yes. She said "If I put it in 4th position thats D". Again I told her yes. She asked me a few more similar questions (all of which I said yes to), then played the whole song start to finish. Watching her have her "lightbulb" moment and seeing her confidence grow at school after this day--that is my most memorable experience

What would you do with the $25,000?

I teach band at a school with no budget--all of my instruments are through donations. Most of my students rely on a school instrument to be able to participate in band. Some of the instruments are in really bad shape. With $25,000, I could invest in better working instruments, and get some of the broken ones I have repaired. Better instrument quality would mean my students have an easier time producing a sound on their instrument.