Donna prefers to approach her classroom as the “facilitator,” where she takes a backseat while her students discover solutions to problems. She effectively works into her classroom culture a sense of perseverance. “If they are presented with a problem now, instead of always looking to me for an answer, they will try themselves to figure it out…I am always here to support them in their learning,” she says of her students. Donna makes it a point to support her students inside and outside the classroom. She believes that without a strong bond with each student, success in academics will falter. Of building the teacher-student relationship – her favorite part of the job – she says, “When students feel as though their teacher is interested in other areas of their life outside of school, they see them in a different light and tend to perform at higher levels academically.” Donna holds a bachelor’s in Biological Sciences and Chemistry and a master’s in Science Education from Georgia State University. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Instructional Leadership at Nova Southeastern University. She serves as the Sixth Grade Assistant Principal at the Kindezi School at Old Fourth Ward.