As an ELA teacher at Excelsior Academy, one of Jacqueline’s favorite parts of her job is sharing her classroom library with my students.  “I feel incredibly fulfilled when I see that spark light in a student’s eyes; maybe he has connected with a character, or discovered another perspective on an experience from his own life.”

Jacqueline’s love for her job, however, does not end there.  “I am constantly challenged in teaching writing and critical thinking, and I rely on support from my colleagues and students to inform my instructional practices.”  She is a Teacher Consultant for the Hudson Valley Writing Project, and this year is co-facilitating a year-long graduate class entitled Leadership in the Teaching of Writing. 

Jacqueline enjoys volunteering, and fortunately, so do our students!  Just this year, Jacqueline and our students participated in the Hudson River Sweep with Riverkeeper, counted glass eels in the Quassaick creek, walked in Habitat for Humanity’s Walk for Housing, helped at the Winter Special Olympics, and hosted a Modern Day Slavery Awareness Fair for the community.  This summer, through a fellowship from Fund for Teachers, Jacqueline volunteered along side Christine McCartney in Quito, Ecuador and traveled to the Galapagos Islands.  This trip was a combination of research for starting their program, Global to Local, where we will take students on international service-learning trips.  Upon their return, those students will serve as project leaders for Newburgh Free Academy P-TECH Community Impact Projects in Newburgh. You can see their blog about this program here.