Rebecca Garrett is 35 years old, single mom and is 4 years in the industry. She has always had a soft spot in her heart for children.
That’s what led her to her career as a fourth-grade teacher.
“I thought about being a pediatrician but when I realized I would have to deal with blood, I knew it wasn’t for me!”
she laughs.
She intentionally positioned herself to take on the toughest classes at the lowest-performing schools. When asked why she chose such a big challenge, Rebecca thoughtfully says, “
Kids at ‘normal’ schools would be fine no matter what teacher they have.
They have parents that will help them. They eat well. They’ll succeed no matter what.”
Rebecca positioned herself to be able to help the children who didn’t have that kind of support. Most of her fourth graders entered her class at a first-grade level, and she worked tirelessly to get them ready to move on.
While she undoubtedly impacted many lives, it took a toll on her own. As a teacher, she couldn’t miss work to take her son to his first day of school. She couldn’t attend his Christmas programs because she was managing the program for her own class. And after years