TEACH: When did your interest/experience in education begin?
NC: In the ninth grade. My human anatomy and physiology teacher, Ms. Farrell, is really the reason I knew I wanted to teach someday. I wanted to be just like her. She was approachable, knowledgeable and always made us feel welcomed in her classroom. Thanks to a lot of hands-on activities, her class was very engaging. She provided us with space to do projects and made us accountable for our learning. It was a great learning experience. We also knew her as a person. She’d show up to our sports games and showed us a lot of love through her support. Ms. Farrell made me see the greatness in teachers.

TEACH: Is there a particular moment during your time at TEACH that stands out?
NC: To be completely honest, when TEACH first came to the campus where I was a teacher, I’d only apply the skills in front of the coach. When they’d leave, I’d look back and think, “Wait, this really works.” The more I saw the change, the more I started practicing those skills more often and incorporating TEACH into my everyday. That first year, my scores jumped 15%, then 25%… By my last year, I was at an 83% passing right, which is just phenomenal for a Title 1 school. Now as a TEACH Program Manager, I can speak to those same skills; I know that they really work.

TEACH: What are you most looking forward to at TEACH this year?
NC: Putting TEACH’s skills in more teachers’ hands! Every child deserves a great teacher, and these tools and skills will move any teacher from good to great at what they do.