Natalie Alexander is a kindergarten teacher in Milan, Tennessee. She has been teaching for 11 years and has had 18 projects funded through DonorsChoose.org! Read on to learn more about Natalie.Natalie, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. We’d love to hear more about you and how you became a teacher. I work for the Milan Special School District as a graduation coach, Kindergarten teacher and mentor. I love the opportunity to work for my hometown as a teacher. I also love going to work each day to see those sweet, smiling faces that are excited to learn!I decided to become a teacher when I was little. I was pushed along the path of medical careers but decided I was going to do more good in the educational field.Tell us about a project you’ve recently had funded through DonorsChoose.org. One of the projects I have had funded this year was “Learning Games Are Never Lame”. This project was for our new classroom method of teaching. We incorporated literacy learning centers into the Kindergarten program and my class was in need of reading games. These games have been some of the favorites among my students. The Ladybug game and the Sight Word matching game are the most used. This is something they can use over and over again. They often don’t realize they are learning because they are having so much fun with the games. We greatly appreciate all the funds and donations! I appreciate the help with making my lessons fun and interactive.My students are just as excited as I am about getting new supplies to use in the classroom. The boxes arrive in the room and the first question is “What is in there?” It feels like Christmas when we get the new supplies. The excitement for learning is wonderful!Throughout Teacher Appreciation Week, we’ll be asking our supporters to tell us about their favorite teachers. Who was your favorite teacher?My favorite teacher was my first grade teacher, Mrs. Wilma Hassell. She loved her job and was always smiling. I never saw her show favoritism. She made learning fun and she had an interest in all of her students’ home lives. I can remember her allowing me to get a hug or sit in her lap when I was sick. I also remember her coming to see my brand new baby sister when I was in her class. She went above and beyond!Thank you Natalie, for all you do for your students! To see Natalie’s DonorsChoose.org projects, check out her teacher page.
