Miriah

Tell us why you became a teacher

I was fortune to have a really wonderful experience throughout my education. I had really amazing teachers who would support me and motivate me to be the best I could be. My sister, who is only a year younger, didn't have a similar experience. I loved school, she hated it, though she was smarter than I. I became a teacher so that every student gets the opportunity to love school and recieve the support and motivation from their teacher.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

After completing my masters and before my first year teaching, I was a long term substitute at the end of the year for a 6th grade math class, preparing for the VA SOL. Many did not have math confidence and were unwilling to attempt many math skills. I decided to explore ideas I learned in my student teaching to encourage their confidence in math. We did puzzles, investigation proofs and talked about how we felt about math. Many students changed how they felt and looked forward to next year.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I'd love to contribute to my student loans and make my finacial situation more comfortable. With that I can spend more time working on my materials for math and supporting my students during their extracurricular sports and events.