Jennifer Suskovich is not only the kind of teacher you want guiding your children, she’s the kind of teacher you wish you had. With a keen love of her subject, an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and the ability to interest preteens in science, technology, math, and engineering, Jennifer shows HSE youth that the world can be their classroom – and their playground.
JENNIFER SUSKOVICH: MAKER PLAYGROUND TEACHER-INRESIDENCE
If you have or know a middle school child, you know it takes a special person to teach them! Jennifer Suskovich is that person. She’s been teaching in the Hamilton Southeastern School (HSE) district since 2001, engaging fickle attention spans and nurturing curiosity about science, mathematics, and computer science in fifth and sixth graders.
Experiential, hands-on learning has always been a top priority for Jennifer. So, when a partnership between HSE and Hub & Spoke created the need for a teacher-in- residence, Jennifer leapt at the chance, saying, “It was right up my alley! I thought, ‘We can do so much with this space.”
The HSE/Hub & Spoke partnership opens the Maker Playground’s doors to over 1500 area fifth graders – and, ideally, opening their minds to the possibilities and opportunities of the STEAM world. Jennifer says, “That’s the fun part about this age. They still have that natural wonder.” Three times each school year, they visit the Maker Playground to let it loose.
BACK TO THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND
Jennifer wants students to bring the problem-solving and critical thinking skills they are learning and honing – as well as the confidence they are developing – at the Maker Playground back to their classrooms and to their lives.
She says, “The one aspect I really hit hard on is grit. I tell the kids: if you come across a problem anywhere in life, you can say, ‘I can’t do this. It’s too hard; I give up,’ or you can have the growth mindset of ‘I can figure this out; I can solve this.’”
You don’t need to be a fifth grader to take advantage of the learning opportunities available at Hub & Spoke’s Maker Playground! Learn more about what we offer the makers in our community.
