HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Education is what centers every teacher’s classroom. However, for one Huntsville teacher faith is the foundation.
Meet this week’s Valley’s Top Teacher, Mrs. Jenna Dow from Holy Spirit Regional Catholic School!
“You can do a lot of good right here. You can spark an early love in reading,” said Dow.
Mrs. Dow teaches third grade, and it’s her second year at Holy Spirit Regional Catholic Church.
“It’s a big jump from learning cursive, to learning multiplication. So a lot of the curriculum that takes a big jump. And so it’s where you see a lot of students that already have big gaps, this is where they might decide they either love school or hate school.”
Her Principal, Vince Aquila, believes she fills that gap. “What I have seen in Mrs. Dow is that she works very hard to differentiate what she’s doing to meet the needs of the students where they’re at, and our teachers do that. Mrs. Dow just has a strong affinity to that,” said Aquila.
For Mrs. Dow, incorporating faith into the classroom matters. “It’s very important because it kind of gives us moral compass right? It gives us a foundation to start with. And I also believe in teaching the whole person. So I don’t believe in just teaching writing and math, and all that. We need to be healthy people 'cause these are going to be citizens one day right?”
She hopes she’ll help shape those citizens for the better.
“I wanted to help the next generation. I wanted to leave some sort of legacy when I‘m gone and like the help the future. And the only way you can that is helping them in their educational journey,” Dow said.
If you'd like to nominate a teacher to be the Valley's Top Teacher, click here.
[WEB EXTRA: Jenna Dow surprise]
