Jenny Maras Has a Contagious Love of Learning
Business and Digital Media Teacher // Morris Area High School // Morris Area School District
A love of learning
Jenny Maras fondly recalls getting off the school bus as a young girl and running into the house to play school. The love of learning hasn’t worn off. The energy in Maras’s classroom can hardly be ignored.
As important as the business skills she teaches, Maras continuously works with her students and encourages them to be the kind kid. She creates her classroom culture to be a breeding ground for kindness, leading first with being kind to her students.
“The student and teacher role happens so much more naturally when they know I’ve got their back as people,” Maras says.
Practical skills with an eye to the future
In class, Maras’s students are constantly learning and creating. They create videos, financial statements, business plans, and other projects that give them a taste for life as a career professional. Students often have the opportunity to engage with community businesses and ‘pitch’ their ideas in real business settings.
Maras feels honored seeing her students graduate and make an impact in the world. She jokes with her students to ‘remember little people like me’ when they make it big. They’re quick to tell her that she’s not a little person and that she’s made a big impact.
“It’s the most precious gift you can get as a teacher,” she says.
Educator of Excellence
MREA honors Maras as a 2022 Educator of Excellence for her innovation, dedication, and commitment to get results for her students. See more stories of Educators for Excellence.
