Jennifer Hamilton traveled a long way to teach in Florida. From the city of Anchorage, Alaska to the city of Orlando, Florida. Just like any great journey, a desire to teach requires real commitment. Ms. Hamilton says she became a teacher because she “always admired the passion of my English teachers.” It was the kind of passion that gave direction to her own professional journey.
There is both logic and magic to language. Ms. Hamilton is fascinated by the transformations experienced by the English language over the centuries. For her, the nuances of the words of Chaucer or Shakespeare reflect both functional expression and the world view of their authors. For Ms. Hamilton, there is logic in syntax and grammar, and poetry in the written word.
Ms. Hamilton claims as her greatest accomplishments the times when students recognize that roadblocks are ultimately of their own making - obstacles they can overcome by an act of will, and a little work. Ms. Hamilton is also proud of her nomination in 2004 as Teacher of the Year at Glenridge Middle School in Orlando, where she also served as the National Junior Honor Society advisor. She also taught English at Stonewall Jackson Middle School and Winter Park High School.
Ms. Hamilton is especially pleased to be a member of the Florida Virtual School faculty. Her own experiences as an online Masters degree student confirmed the value of this form of knowledge sharing. She believes that her ability to individualize instruction to address each student’s learning style is well complimented by the student-centered approach of the FLVS curriculum.
Ms. Hamilton earned her MS degree in Education, specializing in Curriculum, Instruction and Technology from Nova Southeastern University. Her BA degree in English was awarded by the University of Alaska. She is currently working on her Educational Specialist degree in English Education.
