Jennifer Warner

East Helena, MT | K-6, Mathematics, 2022

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

As a kindergarten teacher, introducing foundational STEM skills is crucial at this age. The biggest motivator for me is knowing the importance of teaching the foundational skills well so they will feel confident in pursuing these subjects throughout their education and their career. Not only is my goal to give them skills in the area of STEM but to be able to have students problem solve which will be useful in all situations.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

There isn't one single moment but a collection of moments that affirm my impact on STEM education. When students learn to work together, predict what will happen in an experiment, and understand that even if their prediction is wrong, they know they are learning and growing then I feel like I made a great impact. As an early educator, I am teaching foundational skills like cooperation, emotional regulation, and being okay with making mistakes. They will need these skills for the rest of their lives. The moments I see in the classroom are when they figure out a solution and use metacognition to explain their thinking. It's the little moments that affirm my impact on STEM education.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

As a Presidential Awardee, I hope to advance STEM in our nation one class at a time and through professional development. I plan to continue using hands on projects and activities to teach STEM within my classroom. On a larger scale, I plan on leading professional developments within my state to share what I am doing and how to make STEM skills accessible to our youngest learners.

Biography

Jennifer Warner began her career as a teacher in 2006, teaching kindergarten through fourth grade. Beginning in the fall of 2019, she taught first grade at Prickly Pear Elementary and is currently teaching kindergarten at Eastgate Elementary in the East Helena School District. She previously taught in Glendale Elementary School District 40. Jennifer strives to incorporate higher mathematical thinking in her classroom by using strategies like number talks. She understands the need for and importance of peer-to-peer interaction and how it can lead to a positive classroom environment. She also engages students in culturally diverse mathematics lessons that connect Native American culture to course content. Jennifer's passion for learning is captured in her class motto, “mistakes help us grow.” She models bold thinking and intellectual curiosity and encourages her students to do the same. Jennifer collaborates with her fellow educators to create engaging lessons, analyze data, and reflect on best teaching practices. She is a member of The Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics, has served on the English Language Development Committee to create a scope and sequence for their standards, and won teacher of the year at Isaac E. Imes Elementary School. Jennifer earned a B.S. in elementary education from Indiana University and a M.S. in curriculum and instruction from Western Governors University. She is certified in kindergarten through eighth grade elementary education.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

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