In this month's Staff Spotlight, we're highlighting a teacher who is new to District 38 and is one who teaches some of our youngest students. Though she is new to the district and teaching, she has already received high praise from her school's leadership. This month's Staff Spotlight features Jillian Wendtland, Kindergarten Teacher at Lewis-Palmer Elementary.
What drew you to work in D38 and what has been your journey in education?
I grew up with parents who were both educators, so it’s always been a part of my life. I also worked with little kids throughout college and school. I took a different career path after college. Eventually, when I had my own family (my husband and son both have dyslexia), and I saw what my son went through on his journey, it really pushed me to do what I actually enjoy doing, and that’s working with kids to make a difference in their lives. I made the big career change later in life and got my teaching license, and now I’m here. It’s my first year as a part of D38. I live here, and I love the small-knit community. Everybody is supportive, and I like that family-feel here.
What is your favorite thing about working in D38 and at Lewis-Palmer Elementary?
I love working with the kids. That’s my first and foremost reason for being here. In addition to that, I love the support staff and the people I work with every day. I know I can go to my instructional coach with questions, and my teammate has been great helping me get started. I really enjoy being able to be with the kids and make a difference in their lives, and then also having that support on the backend from the rest of the employees at LPES. I definitely feel that team support and that everyone is working together.
You teach very young children. Are there unique challenges that come with being a kindergarten teacher, and how do you approach and deal with those challenges?
Kindergarten is a unique grade. It’s the children’s first step into a formal education, and we’re pretty much the first stepping stone into their growth and development. As their education continues, most of them get accustomed to school and the routine, and we pretty much help establish that with them. They’re all coming from different backgrounds, so maybe some of them had some exposure in preschool or daycare, but others may not have had that same experience. I love kindergarten because not only are the kids learning how to be around people, but we’re helping ignite their excitement for learning. Kindergartners can do hard things, and I think sometimes people think they can’t do this or that, but I like to prove people wrong and show that kindergartners are bright little sponges that can do a lot!
What is your favorite part of the school day?
I enjoy Heggerty, and I love to teach that foundational skill with reading because it shows how much growth kids can have, and it encourages a love of reading, which just leads to more things to learn and discover. Heggerty is a foundational skill instruction that helps kids learn to identify, manipulate, and isolate phonemes, which is a single unit of sound. It helps build their reading skills down the road and helps them continue to grow and learn new vocabulary and things like how to make a sentence complete. That’s my favorite thing I like to do with my students each day because I think it helps spark a love for reading.
A lot of people remember their earliest teachers. How would you hope your students remember their time in your classroom?
I hope they remember all of the fun ways we were able to learn. I like to fit learning into everyday things and have my students make those connections. We’re currently learning about the sky, and then we’re going to make tornadoes because one thing we’re learning about the sky is how it affects the weather. It's just all of the things we see in our day-to-day lives, how that connects to learning, and why it’s important to learn and know those things. I hope they come out of my class knowing that learning can be fun.
Is there anything you would like to say to your team members at LPES?
I appreciate everything they do every day and their grace as I navigate through as a brand new teacher. Everybody has been very welcoming, kind, and more than I ever expected coming in as a brand new teacher.