By Joe Marusak, The Charlotte Observer
A Charlotte first-grade teacher was surprised on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Thursday for her kind heart in the classroom.
Jordan Siragusa’s No. 1 rule in her classroom at Montclaire Elementary School is to be kind. Montclaire is a Charlotte-Mecklenburg school where most of the students are Hispanic and come from low-income homes. She talked on the show about how her students inspire her by working hard despite challenges.
Her goal, she explains on the show, is to make everyone in her classroom feel equally smart and capable. That’s how her teacher made her feel as she struggled with dyslexia as a girl, she said.
On the show, DeGeneres gives Siragusa “Be Kind” T-shirts for her students.
Since Siragusa dreams of getting her master’s in education, DeGeneres surprised her with a full scholarship from Western Governors University, as well as $10,000 to help with expenses.
This article was originally published by The Charlotte Observer.