Walking into Jeanne Jimenez’s classroom, the sounds of classical music fill the air as she greets her students each day with a warm smile and the goal to help them succeed.
Jimenez is the life skills teacher at Treasure Hills Elementary, and going on her third teaching, she’s learned that with her students to always be prepared for whatever the day may bring.
“My students always keep me on my toes,” said Jimenez. “Everyday is a new day, and they always teach me something. You have to be flexible, but it’s so fun to be able to come in each day to teach.”
She aims to keep her students engaged in her classroom, whether it be through dressing up and reading a story in an entertaining way or making up a song to align with the current lesson. Her high energy assist her in reaching her ultimate goal which is to help students develop their skills as much as possible so that they can succeed, she said. It’s a goal shared by her past teachers as they inspired her to pursue education as a career.
“As an elementary student in Virginia, I struggled a lot,” said Jimenez. “My teachers and counselors became my mentors and wanted me to succeed. They inspired me to teach and help students.”
Although moving from Virginia to Harlingen more than 5 years ago, she still remains in close contact with her former mentors and takes any opportunity she can to visit them. As a first year teacher in 2011, they provided her with much support and advice to start off strong during the school year. As she’s continued her journey as a teacher they continue to collaborate on how to keep her classroom fun and engaging for her students.
Outside of her classroom, she is also the chess and student council sponsor for Treasure Hills. Through her involvement in both organizations, she aims to teach students that teamwork is the key to a brighter future and to give back to the community whenever possible, she said.
Continuing her efforts, she is uses her spare time to help those in the community and show her students by example what it means to assist those for the better, she said.
As a first generation college student, she recently completed her masters in administration and is currently waiting to get into a doctoral program.
