Educator Motivation: Why 4 Members of the Edmentum Network Are Passionate About Teaching and Learning

Our first-ever Edmentum Educator Network Summit in Richardson, Texas, a few weeks ago brought together a truly outstanding group of educators. It was an amazing experience to get a group of nearly 20 diverse educators in the same room for two full days of sharing stories, tackling tough challenges, and brainstorming big ideas. We heard such a variety of perspectives—an elementary classroom teacher from the Midwest, a charter school principal from the mid-Atlantic, an e-learning coordinator from North Carolina, and a high school teacher from Florida to name just a few—and the breadth of their experiences made for rich discussion.

The Educator Summit was an experiment for Edmentum. We knew that hosting an event like this—created by educators, for educators—was something we were really dedicated to doing, but we were truly blown away by how meaningful the summit was. There was energy in the room during those two days, and it was because of the passion for teaching and learning that all of the Summit participants have. Seeing that passion in action was inspiring for our Edmentum team, and to share it with others, we decided to ask members of the group one of our favorite questions: What your “why” for working in education? Here are a few of their responses:

“I want every kid to have a person who believes in them.”

– Kimber Spaulding, 1st Grade Teacher, IKM-Manning Elementary, Irwin, IA

“I want my kids to know that they matter and know that somebody in their world cares about them.”

– Renee Edwards-Rutherford, 7th Grade Science Teacher, Kellar Middle School, Robbins, IL

“What better job than to educate new learners?”

– Paula Franklin, Special Education Instructional Specialist, Galveston ISD, Galveston, TX

“What an amazing chance we have to help students find their path to what they will be successful in.”

– Dave Harrison, Director of Elementary Education, West Shore SD, New Cumberland, PA

We’re already looking forward to future Educator Summits and more opportunities to put our #EducatorFirst commitment into practice. Interested in becoming part of our community? Join the Edmentum Educator Network today to start participating in virtual and live events designed to help educators connect!