Catherine DeLorey

Tell us why you became a teacher

I supported student learning for a long time in classrooms before I upgraded to be a teacher. I heard all the complaints about how its nit engaging, how the teacher only has one way of explaining it, how we don't get enough time to process, etc. I stepped in to the teacher role to make a difference, to make learning more engaging and to create new pathways of learning for students. I became a teacher to facilitate learning. I became a teacher to inspire young minds.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was coming up with a new method on dividing decimals for students. I brought in a bunch of menus from a local restaurant and I had a set group of students in each group so I had more some had less and I had them order as many items as they wanted. I challenged their thinking by pushing them past the grade level curriculum and solving problems such as calculating tax and sharing cost which are real world situations. Students loved it.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use it to build my classroom for my students so they can all have new materials, and I would also like to finish my master of education degree. Teaching is not a career, its a passion for me.