Jennifer Ammons teaches first grade at Sherman Avenue Elementary.

Ammons is a finalist for the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce’s Educator of the Year award. One elementary and one secondary teacher of the year will be announced at the Chamber Luncheon in February. The winner of each award will receive $1,000 from Ameristar Casino and the runners-up for each award will receive $500 from Mutual Credit Union.   

Ammons earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Delta State University.

She said teaching first grade includes instructing students on core values as well as on key academic principles.

“A lesson that defines me as a teacher was one that I taught recently about kindness called ‘To Make a Friend, Be a Friend,’” Ammons said. “It was about the importance of kindness and how small acts of kindness can make a difference in our world. To engage all my students, we read a story called ‘Do Unto Others,’ then brainstormed ways to show kindness to others.”

Ammons said teaching values like kindness and empathy helps prepare her students for life outside the classroom. 

“In order to ensure my students are connected to the world around them, I organize field trips regularly for our first-grade team to visit farms, museums and other places to provide hands-on experiences,” she said. “We also participate in community projects, such as making cards for residents in local nursing homes.”

On the academic side, Ammons said she utilizes data to drive progress with her students.

“Some measures that I incorporate to improve my student achievement are using data to drive  my instruction, designing lessons that cater to various learning styles, and using formative assessments such as exit tickets to assess what students have learned and identify areas that need reinforcement,” she said. “I also use educational games, digital tools and collaborative learning to reinforce concepts in fun and engaging ways.”

And seeing the fruit of that labor is more than just rewarding, Ammons said. It is also moving.

“One of my most moving educational experiences was when I had a student in my class who was really struggling to learn. She came to my first-grade class very behind. As I worked with her and taught her strategies to help her overcome her learning obstacles, she started becoming more confident and started to learn more and more quickly. The best day ever was when she was reading to me one day and she looked up and said, ‘I’m doing it!’”

Ammons said those are the moments that let her know choosing to teach was the correct path for her to take.

“I love to inspire, empower and share knowledge with others,” she said.