Rafael Arenas Jr

Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

When I was in community college I didn't know what I was going to do. During that time I went to my former middle school and started coaching the brass students in the band. Over time I realized that I enjoyed the process of teaching.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

For me one of the most memorable experiences has to be when I decided to teach the advanced band students a song that was above their playing level. It took us a long time to learn that song, but at festival the advanced band students were given a superior rating (highest they could get). At the same time I took my beginning band students to the same festival and they also got a superior rating. The was the first time the school had gotten that rating and it was with both levels of students.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Like most teachers I do have student loan debt. When I got my teaching credential, because I was never good at interviewing, it took me five years to find a teaching job. Which meant that during that time I couldn't pay my student loans and interesting added up. I would put most of the money to my student loans and the rest buy some things for buy classroom.