Elisabeth Catalani

Tell us why you became a teacher

I went from loving school to hating school. I had a tough childhood and couldn't always focus on school. I went from being popular to being bullied. It was rough. I became a teacher to help kids love school. School should be a safe place. School should be inclusive where everyone matters. I love being around kids (and talking) so it made sense. I only remember 2 teachers from my childhood. The one who made the biggest impact was my 2nd grade teacher. I now teach 2nd grade.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Oh man. There's so many. There's not one that sticks out because every day something amazing happens. I love when students come to me and open up about something going on, good or bad. I love when a kid is struggling to understand and suddenly, they get it. I love when kids accidentally call me "mom". I love when my kids are doing fun projects, centers, science experiments and their faces are full of excitement!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I believe the money can be used for personal use. I would spend some of it on my classroom but I'd love to pay off my student loans and medical debt. Sadly, I never received financial help from my parents for school or anything. I've been teaching 10 years and I still owe about 40k in student loans. I have medical debt as well. My husband and I have been married for 13 years and we still rent due to this debt. I'd love to put 20k of it towards my debt to move us closer to our dreams.