Abby Alteri

Tell us why you became a teacher

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. When I was a kid I always dreamed of having the projector my teachers used. I loved my teachers and loved my school. From third grade on, whenever anyone asked what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer was always teacher. When I was a senior in high school I only applied to one college- the best teaching college in my area (SUNY Cortland). I became a teacher to make learning fun. I became a teacher to instill a joy in discovering new things.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

It is hard to pinpoint one memorable experience in nine years of teaching. One day that pops into my mind in particular was the 100th day of school several years ago. My students were conducting an experiment to see if they could reach the center of a tootsie pop in 100 licks. One of my students found this so funny and silly that she started belly laughing. She was laughing so hard the rest of the class, including the teachers, began to belly laugh!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the 25,000 to travel and learn more about other cultures and other parts of the world. Learning about new places and people will further my learning and in turn make me a better teacher.