Rebecca Toolan Sings and Dances Her Way into Palo Alto Elementary Student's Hearts

Rebecca Toolan has only been teaching second graders in the South San Antonio school district for a little more than two years, but she has had a tremendous impact on her students. Toolan uses music and dance to motivate her students to learn.

She uses CD recordings of songs that use numbers and math concepts in the lyrics. "I'm hoping this way, when they get into the 3rd grade and have to memorize multiplication tables, they'll be amazed that they already know them," she said.

My goal is for every student to go to college. But most of all, I want them to love to learn - and have fun with learning.

Toolan decided to return to school to earn her college degree after her children were in school. She was always in their classrooms, helping out. The teachers would ask, "Are you a teacher?" After a while they would say, "You should be a teacher!"

She says that you often wonder where your place in life is, and sometimes that realization doesn't come until later in life. "I often refer to myself as 'Leo the Late Bloomer.' All I know is this is the greatest thing I've ever done."