Excellence In Education - Jennifer Cole - 4/30/24

The Michigan Lottery has played a big role in funding education in our state, which is why it has teamed up with FOX 47 News to recognize excellent educators state-wide.

Jennifer Cole, a special education teacher at Central Grade Elementary is this week's Michigan Lottery Excellence in Education award winner.

Cole was nominated for the award by a colleague.

“Jenn Cole is an amazing individual in the classroom and out! She goes above and beyond to make her kids feel safe, welcomed, and loved every single day. I have witnessed firsthand the amount of time and money she puts into her units and lessons to make sure her students learn and experience new skills using real world application. An example of Jenn’s excellent work with her students is a school-wide popcorn business run by her class. Students last year created this business as a class. They were required to learn many new skills; money counting, making change, taking orders, teamwork, and making popcorn. Students had a business name, uniforms, name tags, and “paychecks” that were used in hypothetical situations in the classroom to practice life skills. Prior to making popcorn, the class completed in depth research on their popcorn kernels (for the healthiest choice), cost of supply, and job training. Jenn built and implemented this business on her own with her students, including putting her own money toward start up and product costs. Jenn’s goal was to make sure that each student received popcorn each Friday, which meant buying the additional bags with money from her paycheck. Jenn’s goal aside from student training was to make sure that every student in the school had something to look forward to on Friday. She knew that one small thing could be enough to leave school on a positive note and come back on Monday with the same attitude. Jenn’s students felt pride in their work, looked forward to popcorn Fridays, and built many relationships with other students and staff members along the way.”

Cole says her mother motivated her to pursue a career in education.

“My mother was an amazing teacher. I grew up helping in her classroom and loved it. From a very young age I knew that being a teacher was my purpose in life.”

Cole says the energy and love in her classroom motivates her to do her best for her students.

“The energy and love from my students drive me to continue to teach and become a better teacher every day. Despite the disabilities my students may have, they still have a drive to learn, and they come to class everyday ready to try their best.”

Jennifer Cole was recognized with a $2,000 check from the Michigan Lottery!

Click here to watch the full interview

Want to see more Excellent Educators? Visit the FOX47News Website .

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