Elementary Teacher of the Year
Jennifer MacMurray | First Grade | J.A. Hargrave Elementary School
Why do you enjoy teaching first grade?
MacMurray: “We are teaching them everything. We are
their starting point for the rest of their years. There’s
so much to learn in this short amount of timespan,
and it’s incredible to watch them grow. They’ll come to
you in September and they’re reading little bitty books,
and sometimes by the end of the year, they are reading
chapter books. Their level of growth in first grade is
enormous. It’s a whole lot of fun to watch because they
really do change from the beginning of the year to the
end of the year. ”
How would you explain your teaching style?
MacMurray: “I want to make sure that learning is
engaging in my class and according to the students’
learning style. I give them the tools and supports that
we have. I use any technique that I‘ve learned and that
I know will help them to be successful and to learn the
material.”
Being in charge of first-graders must make for a
long day. How do you manage it?
MacMurray: “I really like the challenge. There are
some days when they are really hard, but the challenge
of teaching is exciting. I don’t like using old lesson
plans or old materials. I like creating everything new
when I’m going to use it, because it keeps me fresh and
excited, and I want the kids to feed off of that.”
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
MacMurray: “I just want the world for these kids. They
are so sweet and so good, and they really want to know
more. I want them to believe in themselves and to know
that we believe in them. I want them to know they have
the power to change the world.”
Check out our video about
Jennifer MacMurray, Crowley ISD’s
Elementary Teacher of the Year.
12 CROWLEY ISD CONNECTIONS | Summer 2018
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Tell us about your first-graders.
MacMurray: “First-graders are crazy little critters. They
are so cute, happy and naturally kind to one another.
It’s fun to watch them interact. They really want to
know more. They are crazy inquisitive, so it’s a lot of
fun to watch them catch onto things and really share
with one another. We’ve been reading all kinds of books
about kindness and creativity, and it’s been a really fun
experience to watch that come out of them.”
She always tries to be the
sunshine in someone’s
cloudy day.
Caileigh Brooks, Student