Tell us why you became a teacher

I had some amazing teachers who guided my learning, they provided experiences that excited me to learn and share my learning in unique ways. I also had teachers who didn’t have passion and I realized that all children deserved to have unique and exciting experiences. So, at a young age I knew I wanted to create a space that if I was excited, my students would be excited to learn with me.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My students and I were learning about famous present day Virginians. I struggled to find an exciting way to help my students learn the material because it was so dry. My kids and I created interactive dioramas, that included touch elements when partnered with programming shared facts about their famous Virginian. They researched, built, programmed. The kids learned about the people when we set up their dioramas as a museum. We were so proud!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would love to continue my professional learning about programming. Additionally,I would like to invest in my students and purchase robotics, more 3D printers, drones, and other resources to incorporate emerging technologies in my classroom.