Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

"Constraints can birth creativity," is a motto you can smell in my classroom. Having grown up as a performing dancer and musician with limb differences, my understanding of adaptation is very intuitive. Where others were quick to categorize tasks as "can do" or "cannot do", I assumed "can do" and built an appetite for figuring out how. I found this approach could empower students with disabilities, also. Every time students find ways to do something they didn't think they could, my "why" renews.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Part of my MIT Teaching Innovation Fellowship involved adapting design skills workshops to my classroom. I planned for one such workshop to take one class period– ideating, collaborating, prototyping, and reflecting. When we realized all 55 min had already flown by, students unanimously asked to do the lesson again the next day to improve their models. Never had I gotten this reaction to a lesson before, and it led me to see that seriousness may be a catalyst for learning, but joy sustains it.

What would you do with the $25,000?

My vision is to begin a non-profit that increases inclusive teaching practices across various communities. This money would fund 1) field research to gauge community needs, 2) expertise to build easy-access, skill-rich activities that any classroom can adopt, 3) resources to implement these practices at a grassroots level.