Why I Became A Teacher

"I've always wanted to be a teacher. I love working with children and figuring out what makes them tick! I wanted to help unlock learning mysteries for kids and help them learn to love learning."

- Alison Fair, First Grade, Math and Social Skills Teacher

"I grew up in central San Antonio. I am a poster child for the opportunity gap: low-income family, minority group, parents that did not earn a college degree, economically disadvantaged community. So I can relate to the struggles..."

- Ellison Sosa, Teacher Resident

"I became a teacher to impact students' lives the way my younger sister's teachers impacted hers. When my sister was 2 years old, she was diagnosed as learning disabled."

- Jennifer Haggerty, Second Grade Special Education

"I became a school counselor because I saw the disparities in the African American community and I wanted to be an agent of change. I was a student who had a rocky start, and it was a guidance counselor who saw my potential and invested in me by having encouraging conversations and challenging me academically.

- Jerri Taylor, Counselor

"I became inspired to teach when my wife and I lived in Nicaragua and we saw how education transformed the lives of underserved communities. Education gave these people a platform to stand up and demand equity."

- Joshua Martinez, Fourth Grade Teacher

"I've wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl. My parents both teach. My aunts all taught at many different levels and I had four siblings to play teacher with as a nerdy girl."

- Kaitlyn Gaddis, Founding Teacher

"I love working with people and creating a culture of care for students. I remember having an incredible teacher in second grade who made all students feel important."

- Katherine Brysh, Kindergarten Teacher

"Teaching is my calling. I had teachers who transformed my personal development just by having consistent faith in me. I felt seen by people who stuck out as a steady, caring presence."

- Kelli Love, Mindfulness and Yoga Teacher

"I didn't (at first). I actually saw myself as a social worker. However, after working several years in non-profit community based organizations, I realized that I wanted to have a larger impact on children and thought that I would be able to do so in the classroom."

- Noelia Rodriguez, Third Grade English and Language Arts Teacher

"As a teacher, your work immediately impacts another human life. That human life influences another and another—and ultimately, it's a never-ending cycle."

- Phoebe Duvall, Fourth Grade Teacher

"I believe that every child deserves the opportunity to be his or her best self, but too often, children of color are denied that opportunity. I wanted to become a teacher to change that, just as my teachers did for me."

- Shivani Goyal, Kindergarten Teacher

For the best educators, teaching is a passion, not just a job.

A career in the classroom provides the best way to create opportunity for kids