Tell us why you became a teacher

As a student in 5th grade, I was struggling. I believe the teacher I had was overwhelmed and ready to retire. My 6th grade year I met Ms. Diane Davis! She pushed me to do my best and set the expectations high, believing I would rise to meet them. She made me believe in myself and made sure I knew that I was loved and could do well in school. My Ds and Fs rose to As and Bs, and I made the decision that I wanted to give that same confidence to other kids like me.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

As a teacher, you want every kid to succeed and believe in themselves. I had a student that was struggling in class and I did not have a good relationship with her mother, but I kept pushing the student. The memorable moment came the following year when she got into trouble. When asked by the principal if there was anyone at school she could have talked to, she didn’t hesitate to say my name. She said that she knew I cared about her because I never gave up on her.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would love to supply my students with a set of Re-Write Max Boogie Boards. They are electronic boards that take the place of whiteboards. I would also love to supply IPads to use in my classroom. Finally, to continue to be the best teacher I can be for my students, I would attend Professional Development classes to help keep up with what my students need to be successful in school and life!