Mary Michlik

Tell us why you became a teacher

At nine years old, I already knew some of my teachers were not addressing all the needs in my classroom, including my own. Teaching for me is a joy, but it is also something that helps me put something in the universe that wasn’t there when I was growing up.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was when a young student with multiple speech delays and disorders, wanted very much to be a part of the play we were doing - Shakespeare shorts, multiple vignettes of Shakespeare shows. Although her language processing profile kept her from speaking on stage, she and I crafted apart for her that was both memorable, confidence building, and essential to the overall production. These positives transferred to other parts of her life both in and out of school.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the 25,000 to visit title one and underfunded schools, bringing with me free professional development. As a literacy expert myself, I would train staff in these schools to create better readers through the science of reading and arts based, multi sensory instruction. I would also bring tons of books for them and art supplies for each classroom.