University View Academy’s (UVA) Teacher of the Year spotlight series continues with the 2024-25 Middle School Teacher of the Year, Ms. Jennifer Scott. Scott has been with UVA for nine years and currently teaches sixth grade math. She has been in education for 19 years and is passionate about her profession.
“A lot of people think I’m crazy when I tell them I teach sixth grade, but I love sixth graders,” Scott said. “I can honestly say that I love UVA, and I love my job.”
Scott prioritizes connecting with her students personally as well as academically. She has carried over her own love for cooking into a cooking club for middle schoolers and attends as many field trips and school events as she can to engage with her students in person. She builds relationships that last after students advance beyond her class.
“It’s fun when I run into a student,” Scott said. “I have two students who happen to go to my church. I see one all the time, but one just came up to me this week. I remembered him right off. I taught him two years ago, and he’s in eighth grade now.”
Scott is skilled at navigating the challenges of engaging with students in a virtual learning environment. She focuses on helping her students remain calm and comfortable so they are not afraid to ask for help with the material. She also enjoys the flexibility that UVA allows to build her own math course to meet her students’ needs.
Supervisors noticed Scott’s enthusiasm and teaching expertise and selected her as this year’s middle school math teacher leader. As a teacher leader, Scott serves as a model for her colleagues and helps them optimize the curriculum. Scott’s peers recognized her excellence in teaching and nominated her for the Teacher of the Year award.
“I love my sweet friend Jennifer,” shared fellow sixth grade math teacher Virginia Relan. “She took over my class without any hesitation last year when I had to have a major surgery. That left her monitoring and grading over 215 assignments, combining her class and mine. She builds strong relationships with students and encourages them to think beyond memorization and focus on understanding the ‘why’ behind math problems.”
The Teacher of the Year award program is sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE). As UVA’s Middle School Teacher of the Year, Scott advances to the next stage of the competition towards the state-level Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to Ms. Scott on her achievement. She understands and empowers each unique student! Be sure to visit UVA’s social channels to congratulate Ms. Scott on her accomplishment. Check out the video embedded below to learn more about Ms. Scott.