LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Tara Houle was nominated anonymously.

Ms. Houle strives to create a classroom that feels like home — a comfortable and safe place for students to be themselves. Decor plays into this, but so does the classroom culture. From day one, she talks to students about how they should treat each other and makes them promise to uphold this among themselves. She teaches students how to respectfully coexist and work together so everyone feels welcome and free to be who they are. When she discusses this during the first month of school and periodically throughout the year, students relax and are relieved that any behavior or comments that fall outside this agreed-upon realm are addressed immediately. Everyone in the class has each other's backs!

Over 70% of the students in her class are considered low-income. Over 40% of her students have attendance issues, and over 60% have been identified by school counselors as needing support for their emotional well-being. During the first or second week of school, Ms. Houle sets up a "school store" where everything is free. The store includes organizational tools, backpacks, pens, pencils, calculators — all the things that would make students feel good, organized, and ready. Setting students up this way helps them feel more prepared, confident, and on equal footing with their peers. In addition, she provides snacks and hygiene products for the students. Often, she works with local nonprofits to secure donations. When students walk into a welcoming classroom, have all the supplies they need, and are reassured that this classroom will be a place they are accepted for who they are, it truly sets the tone for the year.