Susan Bartol

Tell us why you became a teacher

I began teaching at an environment center where students visited for a memorable learning experience. I felt that this kind of experience should happen more than one day a year, so I decided to teach in a public school.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

There isn’t a “most” memorable experience. What I am most impacted by, is the students who return from college and see me and remember being in my science classes and being inspired to pursue science careers.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I think I would donate it to the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence so that they could help expand funding to develop an elementary science professional learning community. Participants would receive stipends for work that would transform science teaching and learning at the elementary level.