Symone Keolani Jenkins

I would say I attribute a majority of my success to my family. I come from a pretty diverse family - my mom is Black, my dad's Hawaiian. I lost my mom when I was 8 years old, and I think everything happens for a reason. The year I lost my mother, my third-grade teacher, Ms. Iovino, also lost her mother, so she was able to really be there for me on a higher empathetic note because she actually experienced it. Just knowing what I've gone through and everything, all the trials and tribulations, I definitely feel like I kind of get it all from my family and my upbringing, and kind of just like the little me, like younger me.

The biggest piece of advice I've received is short and sweet: don't take things personal. I think that's why I have really good days with my kids. They're human beings, and sometimes they're going through things, so never take anything personal.

I would definitely say going into the profession, pick a school that embodies everything that you stand for, and don't just go for a school just because you need a job. This is kind of like your second home. This is where you're going to be for a majority of your day, and spend a lot of your time. Yes, of course you want a job, but be very critical on why you're selecting your job, and also don't be afraid to leave. If you feel like that school is not something that supports you, your values, or you mentally, then look into other schools. Also, shadowing is important - before I came to this school that I'm at, I shadowed teachers, and when I was finishing up my master's, I subbed for a couple teachers here to kind of get the inside scoop before I actually took my full step into the school.

I would definitely say the challenges mostly come from adults. For me, it's not necessarily the children, it's always the adults. The specific things I'm discussing is more so just not being on the same page for things, and just having different values about things. Some of the challenges can't fully be overcome, but they can definitely be mitigated to ensure that the work environment isn't hostile. How some of them are mitigated is just stressing the importance of every decision needs to be made for the betterment of the children and the students.

I would definitely say some of my top values are character. One of the biggest things is, yes, I teach my students the academics of what they're required to learn, but I also ensure that we're developing their character, so when they leave my classroom, they're respectful, and they're able to communicate with any type of person they encounter themselves with. I hold communication high - effective and respectful communication. I also ensure that we're just coming to everything with an open mind, you know, everybody's different, valuing diversity.