Jessica Soots
1st Grade Teacher
Hometown: Mineral Point
High school graduated from: Iowa-Grant
College: Jessica earned her Associate’s Degree in Elementary Education in 2009 from UW-Richland and her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education in 2012 from UW-Platteville.
Previous employment: From 2009-12, Jessica was a Teacher’s Assistant at the UW-Platteville Children’s Center. Since 2013, she has been a Kindergarten Teacher at Neal Wilkins Early Learning Center in the Platteville School District.
Family: Husband, Brad, and sons, Charlie and Sawyer. We are anticipating the arrival of our third baby boy by the end of May.
Hobbies/Free time interests: Spending time with friends and family, gardening, and sitting on our porch swing.
What attracted you to apply in #PointerNation?: My husband and I moved to Mineral Point in 2015. I’ve always loved Mineral Point and have dreamed of living and working here in this great school district. We can feel the pride and strong sense of community.
Quotable: “I became a teacher because I want to make a difference in the lives of children by being a positive role model for them. I enjoy working with children and showing them the exciting places learning can take us. There is such a great feeling that comes with seeing a student’s face light up when he or she understands a new concept. I am so intrigued when observing the way that children understand and explore the world around them. Children have exceptional ideas that can change the future, and I want to be a part of that.
My personal goal each year in my classroom has been to build a strong classroom community by developing trust and fostering positive relationships with students. It has been a wonderful experience to collaborate and make connections with students, their families and colleagues from across departments to nurture student growth.
I also have a wealth of experience working with diverse groups of students. My experience also extends to collaborating with special education assistants and mentoring various levels of university students working toward becoming educators themselves. I have and will continue to explore new challenges that improve students’ talents and abilities, as well as my own.
I believe that education is a lifelong learning process intended for everyone. I feel teachers should guide students to being active participants in the classroom and building healthy relationships with others. Teachers should provide a safe, enjoyable, and motivational atmosphere that reflects positively in the community. I became a teacher so that I can make a positive difference in students’ lives and involve students in their own learning by stimulating their curiosity.”