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 Jennifer Hoffman
Holy Child Academy,
Drexel Hill, Pa.
Third-grade teacher
at HCA since 1998
Was teaching something that you have always wanted to do?
Yes, I knew at a very young age that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. I remember setting up my dolls and stuffed animals as my “students” and teaching them from my rolling chalkboard. I loved when teachers would give away their old teacher’s editions at the end of the year because I could use them to “pretend” teach at home in the summer. I would always tell my parents stories about my elementary school teachers.
What are some of your favorite experiences working at HCA?
There are so many….
The annual Christmas Show is my favorite activity of the year. The third graders are the “stars” of the show. They must memorize lines to a Christmas themed show, which also includes singing and dancing, and narrate the Nativity, which is acted out by the kindergarten students. I love that I work at a school where we can celebrate Christmas and share the story of Jesus’ birth.
I enjoyed being the chairperson for the mission effectiveness steering committee for our MEC Evaluation a few years back. It really helped me to see how HCA lives out the network goals of Holy Child and how we continue the dream of Cornelia Connelly.
This year we started the “Holy Child Families.” Students from nursery to grade eight comprise “families,” meeting during our community time to work on service projects or fun activities. I love to see the middle school students take the younger students under their “wings.” My third graders enjoy getting together with their families.
What are some recent projects that you have implemented with your students?
This year my students worked on a web-based project using Adobe Voice to create presentations on the Harlem Renaissance. In May, my class will “fly” on “Hoffman Airlines” for my annual unit on the country of India. I have been teaching this unit for more than 15 years and alumni still tell me that it is one of their most vivid memories of third grade.
Besides teaching third grade, what other roles do you currently have at HCA?
I am the head of the school safety committee, member of the testing task force and member of the curriculum review committee.
What is your favorite part about working at HCA?
My favorite part about working at HCA is the friendships I have made with my fellow teachers and staff. The experiences I have had with my co-workers have made be a better teacher and human being. I consider them more than friends—they are family.
What do you value most about HCA’s approach to education?
The idea of teaching “the individual child” is prevalent throughout our school. Every child is seen as unique and the special gifts that God has given it are acknowledged and celebrated.
What is the most important thing you want to teach your students?
Only one? To be kind, empathetic, and resilient. I feel it is important that my students know what it is like to walk “in someone else’s shoes.” They also need to face failures and learn from them so they can be confident individuals who can work well with others.
What is the most important thing to remember when teaching children?
You must be flexible. Lesson plans do not always work out the way you planned. Sometimes some of my best lessons were the ones I did not plan but came out of a great class discussion or spontaneous activity.
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