Orpha Jones

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I struggled with reading as a young child. I had a great 1st grade teacher who cared and was patient enough to help me read. She inspired me to become a teacher and help as many students that I could to love learning . I tried to provided my students with the support necessary to improve their self-confidence so they would not be afraid or embarrassed to overcome their learning difficulties as they succeeded in their learning process.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable experience was teaching English as a second language to 17 recent immigrant students in 3rd, 4th & 5th grade in the same class. I had to figure out ways to teach different subjects for each grade level throughout the day. My students understood the importance of excelling in English to pass the state test for Reading, Writing, Math & Science. We worked hard together. At the end of the year, they exceeded my expectations by passing their state tests with great scores.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I am a retired teacher. But, I went back to teach after a year of retirement because there was a shortage of Algebra 1 teachers at High School. I could really use the money to help out my grandchildren who are starting college and payoff my mortgage too.