Samantha Klaverkamp

Tell us why you became a teacher

When I was in elementary, I struggled to like school. I would beg my parents to let me stay home. However, when I was in third grade, I had a teacher who noticed and cared about me. She talked with me every day and her support, along with my supportive parents, helped me to find my purpose. I knew then I was going to become a teacher who cared about each and every student, helping them to find their love of learning.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My 5th year teaching 7th English Language Arts I decided to teach a new book. The book was about the cave rescue in Thailand. One day, I moved all of my desks and tables around to form a maze, tying a string along them to create a path like described in the book. Through our imagination, I took my students cave diving! They had to crawl on the ground with their eyes closed with a heavy backpack on. They loved it and it brought the book and the peoples’ experiences to life for them.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would love to use the money each year to help bring more of my students’ learning to life for them. I love decorating the classroom, dressing up and bringing in props. It shows them my love for learning and gets them engaged and excited. Plus, I would love to be able to use some of the money to go to educational conferences to learn more about how to be the best teacher I can be.