Jenny Peddycord, Baltimore

A s part of the Chalk it Up to Teachers campaign, Teach for America and Experience Project bring you this teacher's story through an interview.

Jenny Peddycord, 7th and 8th grade / Science, Baltimore

Why did you join Teach For America - Baltimore?

I joined Teach For America Baltimore because I had experienced academic challenges when entering college due to the lack of rigor in my previous educational experiences. I knew that students truly need and want to be challenged. Baltimore is a wonderful city with a great amount of opportunities. By challenging my students, I knew that they will be able to take advantage of all the opportunities that Baltimore has to offer.

Describe your first day as a corps member.

My first day as a corps member, I realized that my students would challenge me as much as I would challenge them. My students had little to no experience with science. I was excited and anxious to see the potential before me as I knew the responsibility that I had to each and every student. I remember looking at my students and knowing that I was going to be able to make a difference.

What has been the most memorable moment of your teaching experience?

My most memorable moment was a time when I was returning graded quizzes to my students and shortly thereafter I had to reprimand a student for talking without permission. I sent the student to the reflection corner of my classroom. After he had completed his behavior reflection form, I walked over to review it and it stated “I am writing a reflection about talking in class without permission, but I couldn’t help myself because I was just so excited… I had never made an A before.”

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