Jacqueline Jaffe’s instincts as an educator were molded from a very early age, as she recalls playing “teacher” in her parents’ basement as a child. She set up her own classroom, created her own gradebook, and even placed spitballs around the room to practice her behavior management skills.  Those youthful experiences turned out to be great practice for the past eight years she has taught dual language classes at Bruce-Monroe Elementary School at Park View. Though she takes her work extremely seriously, Mrs. Jaffe still maximizes her opportunities for joy and creativity in the classroom. “How many people get to dress up as Amelia Bedelia one day, sit by a paper fire telling campfire stories another day, and cook a chocolate cake in a crockpot after reading Patricia Polacco’s Thundercake the next?” she wonders.

Mrs. Jaffe is grateful for the opportunity to work in a school community that fosters bilingual, bi-literate, and bicultural students. “I love being around a community of language learners,” she explains. “Making connections between English and Spanish makes students more meta-cognitive thinkers.” This involves frequent communication with parents, who receive calls and photos of successful days. Mrs. Jaffe’s interest in family involvement extends beyond her classroom, as she has chaired Bruce-Monroe’s family nights for the past seven years, hosting up to seven events annually to help parents promote fun and productive learning at home. She is also a school leader as chair of the School Improvement Team for the past four years, liaising with the local community to promote modernization of their building. Mrs. Jaffe’s own students have achieved at extremely high levels. Last year, 100 percent of her students reached their individualized end-of-year goals in both English and Spanish and showed two or more levels of growth in writing. “I get the chance to watch my students become independent thinkers, resourceful problem solvers, and expressive readers,” she says. “I can’t imagine doing anything that I would love more than teaching.”