TROY — KPAX has supported local teachers by giving out our $250 One Class at Time grant for over a decade.
This week's recipient is our final recipient of the grant — Nikki Steiger — who is bringing things full circle.
Nikki grew up in Troy, graduated from Troy, and is now teaching a class of first graders at W.F. Morrison Elementary in her hometown.
“Well I have 13 different kids, so there’s 13 different learning styles in here and 13 different interests of everything. So just trying to mix them all into one group in order to teach them and have them learn can be a challenge, but it’s definitely rewarding also,” Steiger explained.
Because her 13 first grade students are all at different reading levels, Nikki used her $250 to buy brand-new books. She had just enough money left for an extra-cozy addition to her classroom too.
“I also bought a little reading bench and some pillows to make the space a little more comfortable for them to sit down and dive into those books that are targeted for their specific levels,” Steiger shared.
Although Nikki's journey to finally becoming a teacher was longer than she planned — she had four beautiful children of her own in between college and now - she has always loved the learning process.
“I just think seeing the kids succeed and then just watching - cause you can watch the lightbulb moment - everybody says the lightbulb click - and you watch their whole eyes light up as they learned something new," Steiger said. "And that in itself is so rewarding to know that you helped that child learn something they were struggling with and now they’re comfortable doing it.”
Whether it's one set of tools, one calculator, or even one book, it is the teachers like Nikki who shape the future - One Class at a Time.