Kiara Grant

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because as a young individual at the age of 21, I feel I can truly connect with students and make an impact. I became a teacher because it is my passion to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves, which is where I came into teaching high school special education math. Before teaching, I was in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, where I was a therapist for children with autism. I love helping others, and the field of teaching gives me the opportunity to.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I had a few students transferred into my class at the start of the year. They told me they hated my class already because they did not like math. I told the students to give me a week as their teacher and if they felt my class was not a good fit, they could transfer. After a week, I noticed they began helping others and I asked if they wanted to transfer classes and they told me "No, you make math fun and I am actually learning now" which was a very positive thing to hear as a first year teacher

What would you do with the $25,000?

With the $25,000 I would love to surprise my parents and give back to them because they inspired me to work hard at a young age to be where I am now. Even though I'm young, I know students learn in a variety of different way, and I do not believe in using a standard algorithm of teaching and have found so many efficient ways to differentiate instruction so far as a first year teacher, but the $25,000 would give my parents a great surprise and help me set myself up for success at my young age.