Luz Candelaria

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher to make a difference in the lives of many children. I want to inspire young minds and help them grow. My goal was always to become a Chicago Public School teacher since I am a CPS product. I always wanted to work with low income communities to give back and also become a role model for to them.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I have had many memorable teaching experiences but I think the ones that I cherish the most are when students that I taught years ago still remember something I did with them. For example, I recently was told by another teacher that some 8th graders who I taught in Kindergarten remembered my Day of the Dead lesson I taught them. That meant so much to me because my goal was to teach students about other cultures and holidays. The fact that they still remember years later was everything.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I had $25,000 I would pay off the rest of my school loans. I would also invest in more resources for Spanish speakers. I currently teach with a curriculum that is based on English only speakers and with the wave of new comers it has been challenging to use this with little resources.