Ignite the Spark is a teacher award program that highlights the individuals who are inspiring Milwaukee’s next generation. This year MMAC is honoring 10 educators representing all Milwaukee schools (public, private, charter) and all grade levels (K-5, K-8, 6-8, HS).
What inspired you to become an educator?
What inspired me to become an educator is the belief that every child can succeed when they are met where they are. I strive to build trust so students believe in my ability to guide them toward where they need to be for future success. That belief is what has kept me committed to education over the years. I understand that each student comes with different experiences, strengths and challenges, and it is my responsibility to adapt my approach to meet their needs. By creating a supportive and consistent learning environment, I help students build both confidence and resilience. I also focus on developing meaningful relationships, because students are more willing to take risks and grow when they feel seen and valued. Ultimately, my goal is not only to help students achieve academically, but to equip them with the skills and mindset they need to succeed beyond the classroom.
How would you describe your teaching philosophy or approach to learning?
My teaching philosophy mirrors what many students experience at home—learning through guidance, not just instruction. You wouldn’t hand a child a book to learn how to wash dishes; you would show them, support them and correct them along the way. I bring that same approach into my classroom. I lead with love and respect, while actively teaching and modeling what success looks like. When students are given encouragement and the confidence to believe in their abilities, that learning doesn’t stay in my classroom—it transfers. It equips them to succeed in other spaces, whether that same support is present or not.
What do you find most rewarding about being an educator?
The most rewarding part of being an educator is seeing that growth come to life. When my students succeed, it reflects the environment we’ve built together one grounded in encouragement, structure and high expectations. Knowing that they can take what they’ve learned in my classroom and apply it in other spaces, even when that same support may not be present, is what makes this work meaningful. And when they return and share how those lessons have stayed with them, it affirms that what we do as educators truly matters.
What is one of the biggest challenges you face as an educator today?
One of the biggest challenges I face as an educator is the assumption that students already know what they’ve never been explicitly taught. Too often, when mistakes happen, the response is, ‘they should know better.’ But my question is, what if they don’t, and who was responsible for teaching them? That assumption can leave students feeling exposed, especially when they’re afraid to admit what they don’t know out of fear of judgment or embarrassment.
Because of that, I have to teach on multiple levels. I work to create an environment where students feel safe being honest about their learning gaps, while also providing the direct instruction, modeling, and support they may have missed. My role is not just to hold students accountable, but to ensure they are equipped so that ‘knowing better’ becomes something they’ve actually been given the opportunity to learn.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in education?
The first thing I tell anyone considering a career in education is to lean into it. Students have an uncanny ability to know if you genuinely care about them and want to teach them, or if you’re just there to clock in and collect a check. You don’t really understand how dope our students are until you take the time to know them well enough to teach them.
Bring who you are—your life experiences, your skills, your perspective—because that’s what makes this work real and impactful. Don’t be afraid of the challenge. Lean into it. Teaching is dope when you do it with purpose.
What excites you most about the future of education?
If you love me, teach me.
If you teach me, respect me.
Because love without guidance is empty,
and love without respect isn’t love at all.
