Tell us why you became a teacher

I am a fourth generation teacher. I have a disability as well, dwarfism. I have been teaching people my whole life. It is what I always knew I wanted to do. Working with children is one of the most rewarding things I have done with my life. I have been in the classroom for 10 years and I have no plans to leave the classroom (admin).

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable experience was actually a letter I got from a student at the end of the year. She had a rough home life and it had token a toll on her. However, in her letter she stated; “Mr. Compton, no matter what day I was having, I always left your room happy. Some days, your class was the only reason I wanted to be at school. The funny thing, I hate history. But I didn’t hate your class, Mr. Compton”. I got that letter 9 years ago and still have it. That’s how much it meant to me.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Personally, I would use it to make a personal investment for my family. My wife and I teach at the same middle school and we have a 3 year old son, Micah. As a family, we are very involved in the community of our school. Many students know and have interacted with Micah at community events. This award would alleviate so much of the mental anxiety that we have, that many teachers face, when it comes to finances. This would allow us to fully give our mental capacity to our students and family.