Lindsay Mueller

Tell us why you became a teacher

Ever since I could remember I wanted to be a teacher. I used to read to my stuffed animals and would write on the wall with crayons to "teach" them. I am lucky that I have always just known and had an insticent that I would enjoy and thrive helping others, and more specically kids. When students tell me that I taught how to write or that they want to major in Economics because of my class, it make every moment worth it.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

There are too many to pick from, but one that stands out the most is when I was teaching a Reading class for 9th-grade students who scored below grade level on the English Language Arts standardized test. To help increase reading skills and fluency, I implemented differentiated reading levels and reading journals. Each day in class students would read for 20 minutes. At the end of the first semester, I had a student tell me that this was the first time they had ever read an entire book.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use this prize to help pay for my son's college. He is currently in 8th grade, but I know this time will go fast, and I want to help pay for his college tuition.