Teacher Feature: Jenny Sullivan

By Barbara P. Jacoby

Inspired to make a positive difference in the world, Jenny Sullivan pursued a career in teaching and now inspires her students to be world changers, too.

In her sixth year as an educator in the Cherokee County School District, Sullivan teaches second grade at Knox ES STEM Academy. She previously taught fifth grade at Mountain Road ES and served as a CCSD digital learning teacher for a year. Last school year, her peers named her Teacher of the Year for Mountain Road ES.

Even though she’s a young teacher, Sullivan is viewed by her colleagues as an expert to call upon for support in blending technology into traditional lessons, developing cross-curricular lessons, and identifying real-world applications for core learning.

“I try to relate the standards to real life as much as possible,” Sullivan said of her approach for ensuring state standards for knowledge mastery develop into meaningful and lasting lessons for students. “When students find that their learning is relevant to them, they are more likely to have buy-in with the lesson I have planned.”

A teacher leader, Sullivan seeks opportunities to support her school and further her own professional knowledge to benefit her students including volunteering on the School Improvement Plan Committee, Data Team Lead Committee, and STEM Leader Committee. She has earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education as well as an educational leadership certification and is pursuing a doctorate degree. Sullivan also has achieved both Microsoft Innovative Educator and Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified Educator recognition and has been asked to serve on curriculum writing committees and participate in the Superintendent’s Leadership Academy. She and her husband enjoy volunteering to clean up local trails.

Sullivan felt called to pursue teaching after transferring to Kennesaw State University to live at home and spend more time with her terminally ill father. One of their final conversations focused on her future career goals.

“We both knew he would not see them live out, as his cancer had metastasized, so he asked me: ‘What’s your goal in life, baby girl?’ I told him I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, and my father told me I would make the greatest impact as an educator,” she said. “Dad told me that I was a natural teacher in everything I did, and I clearly had enough patience from dealing with all the colorful personalities in our large family. I felt in my gut he was right, so I changed my major from psychology to elementary education. I never looked back.”

What can parents do to help their child be as successful as possible at school?

“Parents can help their children be successful by being invested in them academically and emotionally,” Sullivan said, and shared the following quote from the late Rita Pierson, a nationally renowned educator: “Every child deserves a champion — an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.”