REAL MOMS OF THE METRO
There is no greater joy than watching my kids grow and thrive and struggle and fail and then succeed again at things they never thought they could do. Nelson “ ”
Introducing Oklahoma’s Teacher of the Year Jena Nelson
BY ERIN PAGE . PHOTOS PROVIDED.
experience in public education, which she says saved her life. “I have done things I never imagined, and it’s all because teachers believed in me,” said Nelson. “That is why I am in the classroom today. I’m here to give what was given to me – a chance.” Teachers who reached Nelson even in the midst of her teenage anger and defiance, cultivated by her traumatic home life, gave her hope then and still sustain her passion for teaching today. Though Nelson says she was “absolutely shocked” when her name was called as the state’s teacher of the year, her current and former students were not. Nelson helped former student Lauren Coco transfer to a different college in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when she wasn’t able to continue coursework in the ravaged city. Kennedy Porter remembers Nelson bringing in a Broadway actor to help drama students gain greater understanding and leverage to follow their dreams to a big stage. Porter also recalls Nelson following her car home after the high schooler had a particularly rough day, just to make sure she arrived safely. Deontaye Wilson calls Nelson both “outrageous” and the best teacher he’s ever had, grateful to her for encouraging him not to settle for less than his best. In addition to being an educator, Nelson finds her life’s purpose in being mom to 15-year-old Rase and 9-year-old Linnea and wife to Carl, a professor and director of chorale studies at the University of Central Oklahoma. This is Nelson’s third year in Deer Creek; she taught previously in Edmond
Public Schools, Putnam City Public Schools and East Baton Rouge in Louisiana. Oklahoma’s 2020 Teacher of the Year shares more about her hopes and dreams for her students and public education in the state of Oklahoma: Your mantra has been that public education saves lives. How did it save yours? There was a lot of instability in my household, neglect and abuse. Getting to school was like breathing. I knew I’d get to see my teachers and experience kindness there. There was structure; I knew what my day would be like and what the expectations were. At home I didn’t know what it was going to be like from day to day. But at school I had my support system and for those hours I was in a safe environment. What do you love about working with teenagers? I love the fact that they are emerging and starting to have their own opinions about the world. They are trying to express themselves and find their own way. By the end of the year they grow into themselves and really soar. I see that in their writing and how they communicate. I get to see all they could possibly be, all their potential, if they will just stick with it. How have you incorporated college and job readiness into your middle school classroom, and why is that so important to you? Coming from the high school environment getting kids ready for college, helping
A glimpse inside Jena Nelson’s English composition classroom at Deer Creek Middle School in Edmond provides plenty of confirmation for why the dynamic educator was named Oklahoma’s 2020 Teacher of the Year. Nelson uses her background in theater to engage a generation of students that thrives on being entertained, declaring every hour in her class a different show and using props, songs and choreography to create an atmosphere where students feel they can be themselves. Over Nelson’s 14 years in public education, she’s taught a variety of subjects from English and writing to drama and theater, declaring herself a life-long learner always up for the challenge of taking on new subject matter. Today I get to inspire. Today I get to teach. Today I get to send kids into the world and watch them be extraordinary. Nelson “ ” “I would teach anything except math!” laughs Nelson. Nelson’s colleagues call her an electric force who knows how to empower and encourage students to take risks and realize their full potential. Nelson’s ardor in the classroom and dedication to her students come from her own
42 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2020
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