Question: What was your reaction to being named teacher of the month?

Smith: I was surprised and humbled. There are a lot of awesome teachers in this school who deserve the title.

Question: What made you want to be a teacher in the first place?

Smith: My 11th grade English teacher, Mrs. Wexler, inspired me to be a teacher. She believed in every one of her students, and she is responsible for my love of reading to this day.

Question: What do you enjoy most about teaching?

Smith: It sounds cliché, but my kids are the best part about teaching. Whether they’re current students or previous students, I enjoy watching them succeed in all kinds of ways. Also, I have a great time kidding around with them – they make me laugh every day.

Question: What is the most challenging thing about being a teacher?

Smith: Every student is so unique, and they learn in such different ways. Therefore, I have to be really creative and flexible in order to help every kid reach his or her full potential. Sometimes that can be tough to do.

Question: How has teaching changed your life?

Smith: Teaching is an incredibly time consuming professions. It isn’t a regular job that one can just leave behind at the end of the day. It takes tons of time to prepare good lessons, revise essays, and grade classwork; however, if the kids are excelling in the classroom, it’s totally worth it.

Question: If you were not a teacher, what do you think you would be doing?

Smith: I love working in the yard and digging in the dirt, so I’d probably be a landscape architect.