Jennifer Bado-Aleman
English High School Teacher in Gaithersburg, MD
Jennifer is currently the English Department Resource Teacher at Gaithersburg High School, in the Montgomery County Public Schools system. She received her B.A. from the University of Maryland as a double major in Secondary English Education and British and American Literature, and a citation from the University Honors Program. Her M.A. (also from the University of Maryland) is in Secondary English Education with a focus on Rhetoric and Composition. She believes strongly in the importance of literacy and writing ability, and works to close the gap between different ethnic and socioeconomic groups when it comes to writing aptitude and literacy skills. In 2007, Jennifer was named the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards Teacher of the Year for the Washington, D.C. area metro region. In 2011, Jennifer became a National Board Certified Teacher for her skill in teaching English Language Arts for Adolescence/Young Adulthood. In 2012, she served as a Teaching Ambassador Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education in D.C. She has been an educator for twelve years and is also currently on the Board of Directors for the Montgomery County Education Association, where she advocates locally for elevating the teaching profession.
Why do you teach? I teach because education is about empowering young people and giving them access to opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. Having effective, caring teachers throughout my schooling changed my life in very real and positive ways. Every student deserves that opportunity.
What do you love about teaching? I love that my work has meaning because I am a teacher. There are these amazing moments of private learning that happen in the classroom, both for me and the students, and those moments change us. When I get to witness that moment of understanding for a student, it is an all-encompassing kind of joy that we get to share. I can honestly say that I love my work, even in the worst moments, and for that, I’m grateful every day.
