Teacher of the Year 2015-2016, Jackie Cribb

Meet Ms. Jackie Cribb, 
6^th grade math teacher and our

2015-2016 “Teacher of the Year”.  
Ms. Cribb was nominated and voted 
“Teacher of the Year” 
by her colleagues here at
 Blythewood Middle.  When asked

to share her philosophy on teaching, here is what

Ms. Cribb had to say… 

 Ms.  Jackie Cribb’s Philosophy of Education

I believe that all children have the innate ability to learn. The enormous stumbling block to academic achievement isn’t always the baggage that my students carry into the classroom, but the core beliefs that I carry in. I am a strong advocate of ensuring that all students experience equal access, equal treatment, and achieve to their highest potential in mathematics and in this rapidly changing world.  I want for them to participate freely in all forms of mathematical practices that appeal to them inside and outside of school. I believe that all children have the innate ability to learn when given an equal and fair opportunity to do so. Students have different levels of motivation, and different attitudes about teaching and learning. In my class, I encourage them to create something, evaluate it, improve upon it, and to put it to use. I know that high expectations play a critical role in student motivation, confidence, and success.

I believe that the education environment isn’t just confined to the classroom. As a young girl/daughter, Dad would often recite this quote by Thurgood Marshall, “None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody - a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns - bent down and helped us pick up our boots.” Education extends into the home and our community.  When parents participate in their children’s education, both at home and at school, and experience positive relationships with teachers, I think it makes a big difference in the effort and performance of our students when they know that their teachers and parents are working as a team for them.  As a parent/teacher, I believe all students must be treated with care, valued, inspired, and educated.

I believe that technology in the classroom is crucial to student development and preparation for our world today and in the future. The benefits from the use of interactive technology in the classroom are tremendous. It is essential in teaching and learning mathematics and science.  With today’s tech savvy students, I find myself in “overtime” way too often. I’m committed to motivating and reaching each and every one of my students. Technology provides the freedom to tap into learning styles and to also differentiate assignments that are fun-filled, relevant, challenging, real-life, and involves 21^st-century learning with keen attention to the most recent common core curriculum.  

I believe that every student has the potential for success. No two students enter the classroom with identical abilities, experiences, and needs. The true classroom is a hodge-podge of many faces and backgrounds. Within my classroom, some students are eager to learn, some struggling, but really desiring to learn, others find it hard and on some days impossible to remain seated, some just waiting for the class to end and eyeing the clock, and others awaiting the challenge for the day. Helping all students succeed in their learning requires meeting them where they are and differentiating instruction. With so many demands in the classroom, it can be extremely challenging keeping each student engaged. I believe teachers must maximize high achiever’s potential without neglecting the other minds in the class.

I believe that Barack Obama perhaps said it best in 2008 when he first ran for President: “The single most important factor in determining [student] achievement is not the color of their skin or where they come from. It’s not who their parents are or how much money they have. It’s who their teacher is.”