Kara

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I was inspired by my high school English teacher. He encouraged me to love literature and sharing ideas. I wanted to work with students to help them grow to love reading.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience occurred in a small group reading lesson. My group was well below reading level, so we worked really hard on word recognition and fluency. By the end of the year, both students were at grade level. One of the students grew 12 levels throughout the year. When this particular student graduated, she visited my classroom and gave me a really great letter thanking me for helping her. She is someone I will always remember.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would definitely use the money in my classroom. I would update much of the furniture. I also work with a team of six other teachers at this grade level. This money would help update our science curriculum and supplies, as well as udpate our math manipulatives and classroom libraries. I would also take a vacation with my family--mental health is a goal our district is working on. This would be very helpful for that!