GCISD first-year teacher Jenna Flamm is not only starting her career in the school district that she graduated from along with many of the district’s new educators, she is also starting her professional career in her former elementary school, Glenhope.
“I always wanted to be an elementary school teacher and always wanted to come to GCISD just because of the wonderful teachers that I had and the great experience that I had growing up here,” she said.
After graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in elementary education, she applied to several districts, but all along her heart was set on GCISD.
“When the opportunity came [at Glenhope], I thought ‘what a cool thing to be back where it all started.”’
Walking up her first day was also a walk down memory lane since the bricks that were added to the front of the school as a fundraiser when she was a student are still there, and one of them has her name as well as that of her brother and sister.
There’s two other things that attracted Flamm to GCISD.
Her mother was a teacher in GCISD and taught for many years at Bear Creek Elementary School before retiring.
“I grew up in a family of teachers,” she shared. “My mom and my sister were both teachers and I saw the positive impact that they had on students. That’s something that I wanted to do with my future students.”
The second reason she was drawn to GCISD was that she saw the difference teachers can make.
“Growing up and being in schools, especially at Glenhope, I had such amazing teachers,” Flamm explained. “Just getting to have that opportunity to have that impact on students and make them excited to come to school and make them feel cared for was something that I wanted to give back that all my teachers had given me.”
What does the future hold for her?
“The thing I’m most excited about is just getting to know my students. Getting to help them grow not only academically, but also helping them grow in their confidence and abilities, just like many teachers here in GCISD did for me.”