Wendy Shelden

Tell us why you became a teacher

I love that moment when the world opens up for a child; that moment when they realize that the world is much bigger than they knew, but it’s still within their reach. That moment is electric and energizes me. I never had a science teacher open the world to me until I was in 10th grade. By that point, it was too late for me to explore a career in a scientific field. But, as an elementary teacher, I can now help students build a passion for science at an early age.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

It’s so hard to pick just one! One that stands out is when we had a Night View telescope event. We had three telescopes set up and approximately 40 families attending. When we put the telescopes on Jupiter and Saturn, the parents let all the kids view it first. But when we focused on the Orion Nebula, parents were literally pushing their children aside to see it! The event was supposed to end at 8 PM, but we were still there at 10:30!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would love to set up a large-scale hydroponic garden and other outside learning spaces at our school. Students are spending more and more time inside and isolated from nature. I want to pull students back into the natural world. They won’t protect what they don’t love, and they can’t love what they don’t know.