Prior to teaching I was a coach and a few of my athletes shared that they wished I was their teacher. When I asked why, they said that it was because I never shame them for failing or making a mistake and it makes them actually want to try. That conversation stuck with me for a while and I really thought it over before making a career change to become a teacher. I was inspired to empower kids with confidence and the safe place to try and know that growth takes failure sometimes.

A parent shared with me that her son struggled in his previous years and had been labeled a "bad student". It's true that he struggled to sit still, to wait his turn and listen, but I never saw these things as character flaws. I changed my teaching style and my thinking about how kids engage with learning. That student ended up being a major leader in the classroom and his mom was tearful in telling me that for the first time, she has heard him say he loves school. He also grew two grade levels.

I would like to purchase classroom supports. For example, I want a variety of stools to provide an option for standing desks. I would also like to provide a floor table so that I have the opposite option available and kids could sit on the floor. I also want to pay off my student loans and see a Dr. about a clotting issue I have in my veins. With whatever I have left, I'd like to set it aside for unique projects that my students get interested in. My current students want to learn about sewing.