Tony Tulio

Tell us why you became a teacher

I always enjoyed helping others and when I was a senior in high school I helped coach my cousin's ten and under little league baseball team. During this time I helped the players learn baseball facts, knowledge, skills, and had fun while helping them become more social and develop as players. This is the point where I decided to shift from a math and physics major to a math and elementary major.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Over my 18 years of teaching I have experienced many memorable experiences with students but one moment was caused by a student centered interaction. Five years ago I was going through a rough time with money, relationships, and overall life struggles. At the end of one of the school days a student who never said much slid me a note that read "Mr. Tulio is a superhero" I still have this small but meaningful note on my desk today. Sometimes we need the students just as much as they need us.

What would you do with the $25,000?

When I graduated college, most school districts across the nation were cutting funding. I had to work odd jobs in order to keep my dream of teaching alive. Today I still work two jobs in addition to teaching to help pay off my student debt. After acquiring four certifications and five degrees, I had over $350,000 in debt. Currently I have $20,000 left. I would use it to pay that completely off and use the remaining funds to purchase prizes to help motivate student learning & positive behaviors.