For many students, graduation testing represents a formidable foe; the math section looms menacingly, seemingly the only hurdle between some students and graduation. This is especially true in the Mt Adams school district, where Jenny has taught for 8 years. The district is comprised of nearly 98% minority students with 100% qualifying for free or reduced priced lunch. Along with living and working in the community Jenny volunteers, including holding free GED classes for adults. Jenny grew up in northwest Montana. Her parents instilled a belief that education is vital. She had dreamed of becoming a teacher since high school, but this dream was placed on hold. Then she returned to school in the early 2000s.
Jenny's philosophy is that education is the key to agency and empowerment. She is committed to working with students where they are at and build up their confidence in their own abilities. Building this confidence is one of Jenny’s unique strengths. This approach has already made a big impact. Most recently a class of thirty eighth graders who started the year significantly below grade level passed the state algebra exam at a rate of 61.3%. One student asked, "Remember when you convinced us we could pass our test and we did?"
Jenny's passion is math, and she works to eradicate a widespread belief that it is acceptable to be “bad at math.” This fixed mindset represents the antithesis of growth. Jenny helps students realize that math is not an unreachable mystery, but a powerful tool that can help them develop tenacity to persevere in the face of adversity. Using statistics, Jenny shows students how easily politicians manipulate data to support their existing belief. She leads them through exercises that analyze their own attendance data and use it to predict their future GPA. Students learn that math, logic, and problem solving are relevant not just to their future, but also their present.
“Before I took algebra with Mrs. Tenney, I always struggled with math,” writes student Diana Jimenez-Guzman. “One gets frustrated and sometimes discouraged. I asked many questions to understand the concept better. Mrs. Tenney happily and patiently answered all of them. When my classmates and I didn’t understand a lesson the way she taught it, she would go home and plan out a different way to teach the lesson the next day so we could understand. Mrs. Tenney has encouraged me to keep asking questions and sustained my determination to keep learning.”
