When parents send their children to school, they often hope the educator that lands in their child’s classroom will show them the same love and encouragement that they find at home. Myra Jenkins, a kindergarten teacher at Grahamwood Elementary, was recognized by our readers for going above and beyond the call for her students.
When Jenkins began teaching, she was trying to emulate the feeling that her teachers had given her years ago. “I wanted to create a place where kids could have fun while learning and go home knowing that someone in their lives loves them and wants them to do their best,” she says.
From a young age, Jenkins knew she wanted to be a teacher. “There have been two teachers in my life that made a big impact on me from a young age,” she says. “One was my first grade teacher. She had a fantastic way of talking to us and making us feel like our voice mattered in the classroom. The other would be my aunt. She showed her students so much love in the classroom and made it a fun place for her kids. When I began teaching, I knew I wanted to have a teaching style that resembled a little bit of both of theirs.”
Though she has taught for nearly 35 years, Jenkins has spent the majority teaching kindergarten, deciding not to change because of the excitement that kindergarteners bring to the classroom. “I think I taught first grade maybe one or two years, but I always kept coming back to kindergarten. I love how excited the kids get when it comes to learning. The younger kids have so much fun in the classroom, and it keeps me young.”
A large part of Jenkins’ success in the classroom is tied directly to her kids’ belief in her. Jenkins works hard to build a rapport of trust between her and her kids. She tries to create an environment in which the kids feel confident to explore and make mistakes. More than anything, she wants her kids to know that even when they fail there is someone who cares about them no matter what.
“I always want my kids to know I love them and that they are important,” Jenkins says. “When kids feel that you love them, they always want to overperform for you. The first thing I do every day is give them a smile, then say ‘hello, handsome boys and handsome girls’ so that we start the day on a good note. Then when we leave I have them all tell me one thing they learned that day. The entire point is to make them think of the classroom as a fun place.”
During her time as a teacher, Jenkins has never underestimated the capabilities of her students. And she stresses the importance to push kids when they are younger. “Kids can take in so much knowledge. The younger they are, the more they are like a sponge,” she says. “They can get so excited when they learn something new, and it’s infectious. What’s so important about younger kids is that they also want to show it to everyone they meet. Many times, my children would be walking down the hall and see the principal and ask to show what they learned.”
Through her years of teaching, something that has helped Jenkins was her ability to keep an open mind and allow her kids to use their creativity to teach themselves.
“I remember one year I was teaching the differences between numbers and how to count,” she says. “As time went on, my kids began to correlate the differences between the size of numbers and their families. My kids would say, ‘My brother is a small number, my mom is a bigger number, and my dad is the biggest!’ I was amazed. I never stopped them because I think a child should always have a way to experiment with how they learn.”
For a new teacher, Jenkins says an important thing to remember is staying flexible and always trying to find the positive aspects of a student’s day.
“I would encourage new teachers to try and get the best from each child every day,” she says. “Teaching can be a hard job, but when you work with the kids, it gets a lot easier. Let each child leave the classroom learning something new every day. What they learn does not always have to be necessarily related to the curriculum. If you are making the classroom a fun place and a place where kids are excited to come to, the job will feel easier. Teaching should be rewarding because you can sculpt and mold a child into a better person.”⎢
We want to shine a light on your child’s teacher, or even a teacher who made a difference in your life. Submit your nomination today by emailing teacher@memphisparent.com.