Jessica Thrasher

Wayne County
Wayne County High School

There are so many reasons why I teach.  As an elementary teacher for 20 years, I went to work every morning to see those little Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade faces. I taught them letters, sounds, numbers, how to read, how to be a friend, a good citizen, and a good leader. I couldn’t wait to get my class list.  Weeks before the start of every school year, I would write their names a million times on the cutest little cut-outs, folders, name tags, and bulletin boards. I knew them before they knew me. They loved me unconditionally; when I was teaching, singing, and even when they lost a privilege and had to walk a lap at recess. There were so many reasons I loved teaching elementary school. Fast forward 24 years, and I am a Gear Up Academic Interventionist at my high school where I get to work with those same students. My “why” has elevated and now I love seeing how they have grown and all their accomplishments. I am a teacher leader for Educators Rising and I get to share my “why” every day with students who aspire to be educators just like me. There are so many reasons why I teach, but my students are number one!