Hello, Saint Ann's Families, I am Ms. Jennifer Gladney and I am the PreK3 teacher.
This will be my fourth year teaching at Saint Ann School however, I have been teaching Prekindergarten classes, since 2006. Young children have always been my passion as an educator, the wonder and magic of early childhood to me is the building blocks of a strong educational foundation. I believe young children have the right to play, to be collaborators in learning, and to dream. I have always found children teach adults daily and it is what has kept me an early educator all these years.
Before coming to Saint Ann, I taught pre-kindergarten to four- and five-year-olds, based on a Learning Through Play Curriculum. From 2013-2020 while teaching a PreK class, each week, once a week, the room would be mixed ages three to five. I have vast experience with three and four-year-old children. You will find we play often at school, but learning is at the center of each day.
My second degree is in dance, and I use movement daily in my classroom. Movement is vital for young children`s development. Movement wires up the neural pathways in the brain to support awareness of themselves and others. With many years of experience, I know movement can foster interactions and wonderful cooperation.
When I am not at school, I am the happiest when I am visiting or at the beach. You can often find me in my vast flower and vegetable garden at home in warmer months. However, I love to garden all year round and you will find that as a part of my classroom teachings. Prior to becoming a teacher, I was a professional ballet dancer at a young age and continue to teach ballet and dance from the youngest preschool level on up at a local studio. I also work for both a university and college teaching dance as an adjunct professor. Ballet and dancing are still a part of my life I enjoy and love to share with others.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me at
jgladney@st-ann-school.org
"Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin" Luke 12:27-28