Tina Jacques – Quail Run Elementary School

Tina Jacques is the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year for Quail Run Elementary School. 

Jacques was born in Albany, Georgia. At a young age, she moved to Morrison, Illinois before moving back to Georgia after her first grade year. Jacques later earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Georgia College. Her first teaching job was with adult students at Crandall Jr. College in Macon. She then went on to teach children at Psychoeducational Services in Dublin and Hawkinsville, Georgia. Jacques has taught at Quail Run Elementary for the past 18 years and she is currently in her 21st year of teaching. While at Quail Run she has taught third through fifth grade gifted, fourth grade, and fifth grade. She has also presented at the Georgia and National gifted conferences. For the past five years, she has been the math early intervention program (EIP) teacher at Quail Run. Jacques and her husband have two grown children who are both married.

Why teaching/What brought you into this field?

“I have always loved learning, because many of my past teachers made learning so fun and enjoyable for me. So, I wanted to be that kind of teacher too. That desire is still what drives me today to spark a love of learning in my students.”

Any inspiration from past teachers?

“I have been inspired by so many wonderful teachers I had from my early school years through my college years. The ones that stand out the most are the ones who made the material interesting and fun, but also challenging. The outstanding group of teachers I get to work with every day also inspires me. They are the most giving of their hearts and time to their students, as well as, to their fellow teachers. I have learned so much from them and most assuredly owe this Teacher of the Year honor to them.”

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

“The thing I enjoy most about teaching is definitely what I call those “ah-ha” or “eureka” moments. I teach math and I often see it on the student’s faces when they finally understand a concept or how to solve a math problem that had been confusing to them. I love getting to hear my students say with excitement…”oh, now I get it”.”

What is the most

challenging part of

teaching?

“I think the most challenging part of teaching for me is trying to make sure I meet the needs of all my students. Since not all students learn the same way or at the same pace, it is often necessary to devise a variety of strategies to address the different learning needs of each student. Although this is challenging, it is also extremely rewarding when I can formulate a way to help a student succeed who had previously been struggling.”

Advice to students

“My advice to students is for them to challenge themselves. I would advise students to be open to learning new concepts. They may just be surprised by how much they really enjoy the new material they thought was too difficult.”

Advice to parents

“I would advise parents to always encourage their children to ask questions and seek answers. We are there to help their children to succeed. I would also advise parents to let their children know they the parents and we the teachers are working together. When the students feel the support connection between the parents and teachers, they often feel they can accomplish anything.”