Visitors to Zowie Jenson’s kindergarten classroom are unlikely to suspect that she is fairly new to teaching. Her routine runs like a well-oiled machine, and her students pay rapt attention as she leads them through letter and sight-word practice. 

 

“You would never know that this is only Zowie's third year,” Mountainside Elementary’s Principal Cam Amott said. “She brings an understanding of what her students need, how to connect with them, and an energy that is infectious in her classroom and throughout the school. She is a dedicated, talented, and loving teacher who blesses the lives of all of her students.”

 

Jenson’s classroom is driven by the belief that kindergarten is the foundation of all school learning and social skills. She builds that foundation using play, music, and encouragement.

 

“Kindergarten is the foundation of everything,” she said. “In kinder, they learn their letters and numbers, but also how to share and be a friend. Even though it may seem kind of small to some people, to me, it seems pretty big. Because this time is the foundation for everything, if I can give them a good foundation and somewhere that they feel safe and loved and enjoy coming, they can use that foundation later.”

 

   

 

In Jenson’s classroom, students stay engaged in learning through hands-on work and movement activities. “We use manipulatives and play-based learning to learn essential skills,” she explained. “We do centers and art projects every day, all of the things that bring the fun back to learning! In my class, we have a lot of dancing and a lot of singing. We have a song for everything, and I think those kinds of things keep it more fun.”

 

Jenson acknowledges the impact of her many mentors at Mountainside. “The teachers here have helped me learn and grow so much,” she said. “Even on the hard days, people at my school see the hard work I’m trying to do and are able to support me.”

 

“Zowie embraces challenges and sees them as opportunities to grow as a teacher and as a person,” Principal Amott said. “Her greatest gift as a teacher is her ability to see the best in her students and, in turn, help them see the best in themselves.”

 

“My favorite thing about teaching is the light bulb moment when they figure something out,” Jenson shared. “In kindergarten, everything is so new and exciting. Every time there’s even a tiny bit of progress, they are stoked! The first time we read a word is my favorite day of kindergarten because they’re super excited about it. I just love that.”