Jennifer Weeks

Tell us why you became a teacher

I had a difficult childhood with an alcoholic abusive father. This led me to what to help others. At first I tried nursing, but I couldn't watch children at their worse and in pain, so I changed my degree to teaching. Ironically, I see kids at their worse and in pain daily. But in teaching and why I still do it is because here I know I can make a difference. I have to figure out how to motivate kids who don't want to learn the importance of an education.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

It happens in small ways at different times. The other day while driving through and ordering food, a former fifth grade student remembered me her fifth grade teacher and I got to hear she is about to graduate high school, this brings me joy. When another student I had in kindergarten is now a substitute teacher at the same school she attended as a child and I get to see their growth is the most memorable moments of teaching. This is what keeps me going each day.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Like all the money I have now, it would go back into the classroom. I would buy technology and programs that help make learning more attainable and enjoyable. I would get a lot of science equipment that would make learning science processes fun. I work at a Title 1 school, so trying to make learning attainable to the kids is what I would do with the money. But besides the money l, why I signed up for this is to try to get Bill Nye the Science guy to our school, to make learning fun.