Jennifer Major, secondary English teacher and head of the English department, wins the Teacher of the Year Award after being voted by the faculty of Fauquier High School (FHS). Major has consistently shown her exemplary teaching skills and ability to connect with students. Because of her dedication, the English program has received the attention it deserves.
After graduating college, Major was unsure of her decision to go into teaching, feeling as though she was too young. Major stated “I did observations in high school, and I’m like, this is a no. I felt too much like a kid then.” Major turned to other options. Following college, Major became a real estate agent in D.C., “I did building management first, and then I leased buildings.” Major wanted a few years to be home with her kids. After six years at home “to change gears” Major began to pursue her lifelong dream of being a teacher.
Working at FHS for over a decade shaped her teaching style into one that prioritizes student relationships. Major believes the key to teaching is “When kids do things that are funny, laugh. Sometimes you want to get annoyed with them because they’re not on task but I find that it’s actually really helpful to build relationships just to laugh and find humor in those moments, and that builds a good rapport.”
As well as creating a comfortable environment for her students, Major utilizes a managerial style of teaching. “I see myself more as a manager, and I really want the kids to engage [in] English Class. … I try to introduce a new concept, and then I want them to work with it. So it’s trying to [get] as hands-on as possible,” Major explained.
Through Major’s dedication to her students, she has been voted by FHS in a display of her hard work, something she was not so keen on but was very deserving of. The award presentation was in the FHS auditorium where Major collected it on stage. “It means a lot because my peers voted for me. I absolutely hate getting up on stage and I hate being in public, so having my parents and my husband here made that more worthwhile because I knew they were proud.”
