Claire Poppleton

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher to help students realize that anyone can be good at anything. Sometimes it takes different perspectives or additional analysis, but everyone is capable of success when given the appropriate tools to flourish. Children have natural curiosity and it's our job as educators to feed that hunger and provide them with ample opportunities to explore, wonder, and discover.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

When I first began teaching, I was at a school with students who had little to no confidence in their math abilities. Previous adults had let them down and the students had been wrongly placed in lower courses. It was a struggle to convince the students to give me a chance to show them that they were capable, but over time, with a lot of perseverance on their part, these students started to see their success and gain confidence in their abilities!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would look at furthering my education, specifically in the realm of gifted education and better understanding students who are twice exceptional. There is a possibility of taking it one step further and pursuing a doctoral degree in education!