VTVLC Teacher Profile
Get to Know the VTVLC K-8 Teachers: Jenifer Hardy
Q: Can you tell us a little about your background?
A: I earned a B.S. in Math and a B.A. in Education as well as a Master’s in Gifted and Talented Education from Johnson State College. My first teaching job was 7 years in Bakersfield, VT as a 5/6 looping teacher. Then, I spent three years teaching 6-8 Math in Montgomery. After my kids were born, we moved to Georgia VT where I taught several years in grade 6 followed by a few years as their 5-8 Enrichment teacher.
Q: What is your favorite thing about teaching for VTVLC?
A: The people, the flexibility and the curriculum development. Everyone is very supportive. I enjoy being able to play a part in designing the curriculum I will be teaching.
Q: What has been the highlight of your virtual classroom this year so far?
A: Watching my kids work together in groups to grow mold on foods in their homes and report back. Who was going to lick the toast? Where will I put it? Sadly announcing that there is still no mold. It was a fun group opportunity. We also played a great game of charades, a squirrel collecting acorns can be very entertaining.
Q. What is different about teaching for VTVLC than teaching elsewhere?
A. You need to be very organized to teach online. Planning and preparing involve lots of checklists so nothing gets forgotten when posting or distributing information. I also think that teaching for VTVLC has given more opportunities to take advantage of the teachable moments that pop up during a day. It is super easy to say, “I’m not sure, let’s look that up together.”
The relationships built with learners in this learning environment are stronger than most would realize. I get more uninterrupted one-on-one time with my students than I ever could manage in an in-person classroom. We are an online community; we may not regularly see each other in person, but we are all connected, no matter how many miles are between us.
Q: What do you wish people knew about online learning or VTVLC’s
full-time K-8 program?
The relationships built with learners in this learning environment are stronger than most would realize. I get more uninterrupted one-on-one time with my students than I ever could manage in an in-person classroom. We are an online community; we may not regularly see each other in person, but we are all connected, no matter how many miles are between us. We learn, we joke with each other, we play games, we know each other’s pets; we are friends.