Fab Teachers

Dawn Harris

Sky Crossing Elementary | third grade

How long have you been teaching? I have been teaching for over 20 years. I’ve been in the Paradise Valley School District for 10 years now.

What inspired you to be a teacher? I had amazing teachers that changed me and inspired me to follow my passions. Particularly, my first grade teacher. She made learning fun and she made our classroom community a little family. It was the most memorable year of school.

What is your greatest joy in teaching? Watching children light up when they make a connection during a lesson. I love when their learning is ignited and curiosity drives their desire to explore and learn more about the world around them. I do this by building trust and relationships with them as individuals. I feel joy when I know a student is able to be the best version of themselves

What about the greatest challenge? The greatest challenge is time. I wish I had more time in the day. I have so many ideas and plans for children. Being a teacher means building relationships with parents and maintaining professional obligations too. I’d wish for more minutes to be with or plan for my students more.

What if a student can have only one takeaway from time spent in your classroom, what would it be? I want my students to know that they matter, and I believe in them. I want them to be the best versions of themselves, but also know that it’s OK to make mistakes as long as they learn from them.