Tell us why you became a teacher

Teaching lets you design lessons, try new ideas, and bring learning to life. I remember most of my teachers for good & bad reasons. I became a teacher so that I could be someone's good memory of going to schools each day & having someone believe in them . I strive to make my classroom welcoming for all students, sometimes my classroom walls are the only place they feel safe. Every day has meaning when you know your work matters. Turning standards into success through creativity and passion.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

While teaching an after school Art enrichment class, a student was walked down by his general education teacher. She wanted to warn me about this students behavior before accepting him into my class. The student joined & did well, the next year he was in my 5th grade class. Shortly into the school year, I received a letter from his parents telling me how much they appreciated that I gave their child a fresh start and that even at home they were seeing changes. Each day is a fresh start.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Honestly, I would use a portion of the prize money to pay off my student loans. I would use some of the money to build my student library, it is literally 2 shelves big right now and I have to borrow class sets of books, sometimes being short 1 or 2. I would love to use the funds to provide hands on learning experiences through guest speakers and field trips. I work summer school every year to replenish supplies and would also do this with the prize money and maybe take a year off!