Joshua plank

Tell us why you became a teacher

I lived a significant chunk of my life without direction. I worked as everything from a CNA in a nursing home to a welder building grain silos. But I also carried this feeling of just doing a job. I was eventually convinced to go to college by my now wife. I had never considered furthering my education because I was such a poor student, but I ended up loving it. I especially loved helping my peers understand content that they were struggling on. It was an epiphany. I wanted to teach.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

The most memorable moment I had as a teacher didn't come from a student but from a parent. I was told that her daughter had loved science when they were younger, but seemed to lose interest with it over it time. Which was frustrating to the parent, as she understood the value of it. It was the end of the year when she contacted me and said she wanted to thank me. My class had reignited an interest in science for her daughter. That was the biggest compliment I had ever received.

What would you do with the $25,000?

In all honesty, I would probably save it away in a bank account. At this point, I probably spend a good amount of my own paycheck on school supplies for my own classroom. It would be good to just fill the coffers once again. It will also be nice to no longer worry if I could afford an expense for my classroom if the school doesn't approve a grant. It's a boring answer, I know.