Tell us why you became a teacher

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to become a teacher. My mother ran a home daycare, and I can remember being as young as 8 years old, reading stories to her daycare kids. I would ask them questions about what they think would happen next or who their favorite character was. On the weekends, I played school with my stuffed animals, assigning them classwork, grading, imaginary papers and going on field trips to the playground in my backyard. Teaching has always been my dream.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

While teaching 4th grade, my students participated in an author study on the famous Roald Dahl. I read aloud most of his books sharing his wonderful figurative language and fascinating stories with students helping them fall in love with reading. I purchased a box set of his books and raffled them off that year. The look on their faces when they won a book, seeing their joy and knowing how excited they were to read, was truly magical!

What would you do with the $25,000?

Pay for my husband's nursing school. Purchase some items for the classroom. Build my classroom library! Bill Nye coming is the best part of the prize!