Excelsior Springs, Mo. – After just over 15 years teaching mathematics with the district and a year full of hard work and recognition, Jennifer Harding has won the Excelsior Springs High School’s Teacher of the Year award, in addition to the everyday love and support from her students and colleagues.
Earlier in this year, Harding was also nominated for the LifeChanger of the Year award, This acclaim, alongside the award-winning end of the year, gives tangible recognition to the thoughtful and often unseen actions taken by Harding in the everyday. Although the award is well-deserved, Harding still finds herself with a sense of surreal humility.
“I have been blown away by the recognition that I have received this year. I am humbled and surprised by this title. Every year, I find myself thinking ‘wow, that person is so deserving,’ and now seeing those comments on social media about me is kind of surreal. I have had so many students and peers walk up and tell me they are glad I was named Teacher of the Year, and that means a lot.”
According to students and colleagues, though, this burst of recognition does not come as a surprise. From comments on Facebook, to an anonymous nomination, to using creative and effective teaching strategies, Harding has shown through hard work and constant growth that this recognition is character-backed, in and outside of the classroom.
Harding enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, chasing around backyard chickens, and connecting more with her students outside of mathematics. She challenges herself to read the same books that her students are assigned in their language classes, which helps her in connecting and is just one example of her natural above-and-beyond mindset.
As she balances the equations of kindness and resilience, she actively reflects on her teaching strategies to ensure each student is cared for and equipped with confidence. This results in a well-designed and tested formula for student success.
“Being a teacher means constantly being reflective, and as I look forward to next year, I look forward to teaching new classes and meeting new students but also just figuring out ways to push students into thinking in new ways.”
Harding strives to help people around her to be tough and kind. She is a living legacy of finding the missing variable for tons of scattered equations each day, whether they’re on the board or within the people around her.
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