Kentucky Connected Educator Day 12

Jennie Watkins, Hope Street Group Fellow

Corbin Independent Schools

 In what way(s) are you a connected educator? 

I use Facebook and twitter to connect to other professionals in the field of education.

How does being connected impact your practice?

 I have been able to read, discuss, ask questions, on topics such as curriculum and activities that help me meet the standards for my subject and grade level.

Give an example of how does being connected impacts you as a professional ? 

No man is an island and no educator can be successful working in a bubble.  Having the ability to connect with others impacts my teaching and helps me to reflect on ways I can better serve my students.

What advice would you give someone just starting to get connected?

Don't be afraid.  Start connecting with people you already know and then branch out from there.  Ask your connected colleagues to offer suggestions on who to follow and then follow them.

Jennie Watkins has been teaching for sixteen years in the Corbin Independent School District and currently teaches 6^thgrade English Language Arts and Social Studies at Corbin Intermediate School. She also serves as the 6^th grade Team Lead. Jennie earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of the Cumberlands and a Master of Arts in Elementary School Counseling from Eastern Kentucky University. In 2007, Jennie was named a Kentucky Elementary History Teacher of the Year Finalist and in 2010 she was named an Outstanding Civic Educator of the Year for Region 13. Jennie serves as the Kentucky Association of Professional Educators (KAPE) District Representative and works as a Teacher/Peer Evaluator in the Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PGES) Kentucky Teacher Evaluation Pilot. Jennie is also a contributing author to "Mastering the Grade 6 K-PREP in Reading" Test Prep publication for the state of Kentucky. With her husband working as a special education teacher and a son currently majoring in Secondary Education, she has a family of educators.