Teacher Award Honoree Ms. Jen’s Philosophy: Equal Parts Love and Learning
The Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards have been honoring outstanding early care and education teachers since 1994. This year, for the second year in a row, Malvern School teachers were among the honorees from around the country!
One of the 2022 Teacher Award recipients is Ms. Jen Ott, Pre-Kindergarten Lead Teacher at The Malvern School of Lionville.
“This award has provided me with validation for years of hard work and dedication to early childhood education,” says Ms. Jen.
With 12 years of experience in the field and a Bachelor’s degree in early elementary education, Ms. Jen has also been applauded by parents as a role model for early childhood educators.
She says it all boils down to providing young children “equal amounts of love and instruction.”
Learn more about what makes Ms. Jen such an outstanding educator – and how she represents The Malvern Way – in the Q&A below!
TMS: What’s your philosophy when it comes to teaching young children?
JO: I believe that emotional connection is vital to all powerful learning. That’s why I spread love, laughter and passion in my classroom! I’m constantly looking for ways to personalize learning and pique each child’s imagination. I also believe that each child has unique strengths and preferred learning styles. My teaching must be differentiated to provide enough challenge and enough support for all children to build on their success and develop positive attitudes about learning!
TMS: What’s your secret to success in the classroom?
JO: My secret to success is building strong, caring relationships with the children and showing them as much love as I can. It’s important to get to know each child as an individual because the greatest way to teach a child is to first understand them. Learning their interests, their challenges, their temperaments – it all helps me teach in a way that makes the most of their strengths and helps build their confidence along the way.
TMS: Why did you choose to dedicate your career to early childhood education?
JO: Dedicating my career to early childhood education provides me the amazing opportunity to create an educational foundation that will last a lifetime. Young children are so lovely to teach because they require equal amounts of love and instruction. By influencing the learning of young children, I’m leaving a lasting impact on the world. That alone makes my job meaningful, and I see no better fit!
TMS: As a teacher, why have you made The Malvern School your home?
JO: The values that I live by in everyday life align with The Malvern School’s Core Values. I was also particularly drawn to their high-quality, NAEYC-based program along with the opportunity to develop curriculum in my own unique way.
The thing that was most important for me when determining where I would teach was whether or not I could trust the others around me with my own child – and I found that at The Malvern School at Lionville. The teachers here have developed close bonds that provide me the platform and confidence to be the best teacher I can be for my students.
Please join us in congratulating Ms. Jen on this very well-deserved honor!
