Receiving the Presidential Award affirms that I am making a difference in the lives of my students and I am honored to be considered for it. My heart breaks to hear students say that they do not like mathematics, and I make it my mission to challenge each young student with engaging and exciting lessons that make mathematics relevant to them. I am proud to follow in the footsteps of great educators who have mentored me and I look forward to continuing my journey as a lifelong learner.

Jennifer Donwerth Edmond, OK | K-6, Mathematics, 2020

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Jennifer Donwerth has been an Oklahoma educator for 13 years. She began her career as a music teacher for grades 1-12 at Mounds Public Schools and has spent the past 11 years as a second grade teacher at Centennial Elementary School. Jennifer’s love for her students is her true passion, and afternoon mathematics lessons in her classroom are full of vibrant exploration and discovery as her students work together to apply their knowledge to real-world problems. Lessons are often noisy with excitement, and students are frequently overheard discussing the fun they had in the class. It is Jennifer's goal that every one of her students develop a love for mathematics. Jennifer also enjoys mentoring student teachers and assisting other educators in her district and throughout the state of Oklahoma. She has presented sessions at district professional development and has served on various committees including a mathematics textbook adoption committee and a committee to assemble content for students during the COVID-19 outbreak. Jennifer was also a curriculum writer for the first two phases of the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s mathematics framework project. Jennifer was a Teacher Character Award finalist for Professional Oklahoma Educators, and she works diligently to build character and a strong sense of community into her lessons. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Music Education, magna cum laude, from Oklahoma Baptist University. She is certified in early childhood, elementary education, vocal music, and music theory.

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