Tell us why you became a teacher

Growing up in a small town, I wasn’t exposed to very many jobs… store clerks, bank tellers, gas station attendants, hairdressers, an occasional nurse or doctor, and… TEACHERS! I admired my teachers, watched them closely, and dreamed of the day I’d have my very own EZ Grader and chalk holder. I made worksheets and held “school” with my neighborhood friends - always the teacher, never the student.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I had a young boy several years ago who would run out of the school building when he was frustrated. One particularly cool winter morning, this student got frustrated and said to me, “Mrs. Anderson, me going to run.” And I said, “Buddy hold on just a second. Let me check the weather. Okay, it’s 20°. You might want to grab your jacket on the way out.” Five minutes later, in the hall, I see a book bag and a jacket laying in the floor. Just then, I heard a little voice, “Me not in my locker.”

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I’m being completely honest $25,000 is a lot of money for a teacher. It seems like the responsible thing to do would be to pay bills or get ahead on bills. $25,000 would help my husband and I afford the home of our dreams.