教师关注十一月2022:先生. 杰里米·迪金森

JD: B.A. in Spanish and economics from DePauw University, Greencastle, IN.

JD: After college, I spent six years in Spain teaching English at various schools across the country. 我的大部分教学都是在高中完成的, but I also had the opportunity to work in primary schools as well as state-run, 成人语言学院. 回家后, I spent two years at Glenbard West High School [Glen Ellyn, IL] as a teacher's aide in the ELL (English Language Learners) Department and was fortunate enough to work with students and families who had just immigrated to the United States from all parts of the world.

This response would not be complete without mentioning the many, long summers that I endured delivering pizza in the western suburbs. 

JD: (Glances at the dusty bookshelf across the living room …) I have a bad habit of starting but not finishing books. 目前，我重读了一半 炼金术士 by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho -- a simple and timeless story that I think everyone should read at least once. 我也还在翻看 聪明的投资者 本杰明·格雷厄姆. 根据我投资组合的现状, I should probably finish this one sooner rather than later. 

JD: 旅行是必不可少的. I also try to stay active and enjoy anything outdoors or sports-related. 我喜欢徒步旅行和背包旅行. I also coach youth baseball and am a proud member of my men's soccer team, the Diñhos.

JD: I played baseball for four years in high school [at Lyons Township HS, 农庄和西泉, 在大学里. 我在高中踢了两年足球, 在接到我职业生涯唯一一次触地得分后, I followed it up by kicking the ball about seven yards and missing the extra point short.

JD: I have coached various sports since arriving at Fenwick six years ago [one year as a maternity substitute teacher and another year was part-time]. After helping with lower level boys' basketball and soccer as well as JV softball, 我已经成为JV棒球队的总教练.

JD: 有很多积极的特质可供选择, but what strikes me most is the kindness of Fenwick students. 作为勤奋的学生, they are quick to recognize the hard work that their teachers put into their classes. They often share words of appreciation on their way out of class. 一句简单的“谢谢”就能帮上大忙, and the dozens of 'thank you's' offered by students daily provide the fuel to keep me going.

JD: I realized that I wanted to become a teacher during my third year in Spain while working at the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas in Cáceres, 埃斯特雷马杜拉. 那一年我有很多积极的经历, 无论是个人还是职业, and it was in Cáceres that I began to realize the profound impact that living abroad can have on an individual. It became clear that I needed to dedicate my life to sharing this experience with kids and encouraging them to have an open mind to other cultures.

JD: Teaching requires a great deal of patience and willingness to recognize your missteps. 我知道，作为一个青少年，我缺乏这些品质, and I try to be conscious of this in my daily interactions with students. 

JD: I really enjoy working with the seniors in Spanish IV. Their minds are focused on the road ahead and they are open to deeper, real-world discussions. 

JD: Any time I hear from a student or their family after the four years of high school have ended is a wonderful experience. If someone takes the time down the road to reach out to you, whether to express gratitude or simply to share a personal anecdote, t在这里 must have been some positive connection made at some moment, and these connections are the greatest success in teaching.

JD: 学生面临许多挑战, the biggest of which is learning how to deal and cope with these hurdles that they are inevitably going to face in high school and out in the real world. 对我们的一些学生来说, the first time that they experience difficulty or failure in the classroom is 在这里 at Fenwick. 失败是生活的一部分, and it is vital that they realize these moments offer opportunity for growth.