Mrs. Howland: A Columbia School District Hero!

During this past year Columbia School District teachers and their students have learned to work together in a new way.  Working side by side, sometimes across Zoom, our teachers have developed new activities to increase the academic skills of their students.  Last spring as they worked from home, our teachers made sure that their students had paper packets and all of the material they needed to succeed.  This fall Columbia teachers and staff bravely came back to their classrooms because they believed that being in person would benefit their students. 

Columbia School District teachers have continued making a difference in the lives of our students throughout the year and have become heroes to our community of learners.  Mrs. Howland was nominated by Kari Vinson as a Columbia Hero!  Jennifer Howland has exhibited creativity and ingenuity.  Her intensive exhibition of teaching excellence has allowed her kindergarten students to continue to learn and grow.  When talking about how much she likes teaching, Jen said, “I get to see so many smiling faces each day, get a million hugs, and watch the children grow year after year.”   She continued by commenting, “I love getting to know each child and finding their spark for learning and helping it to grow and flourish.”

When nominating Jennifer as a Columbia Hero, Ms. Vinson said that Mrs. Howland “has gone above and beyond in this very difficult year.”  When learning more about Mrs. Howland’s classroom, it is easy to see the results of her dedication to her students.  In her nomination, Kari Vinson said, “My daughter absolutely adores her and enjoys coming to school.”  When hearing about the nomination, Mrs. Howland explained that her joy in teaching is enhanced when her students are making academic gains.  She exclaimed, “I love being able to see the moment when the children master a new concept.”

This year, one of the responsibilities of our fabulous teachers was to adjust the curriculum to take their students from learning in the classroom, to learning virtually.  When creatively thinking about making the adjustments in programming for her kindergartners, Mrs. Howland continually focused on activities that would make an impact.  Mrs. Vinson explained how pleased she was with her daughter’s experience.  She wrote that, “While we were on virtual, Jen's Google classroom was AMAZING, she put so much into it for us parents and for her students.”

Mrs. Howland represents Columbia teachers with her positive attitude and love of her students.  She mentioned that she “loves being able to wake up each day and come to a job I love at a place I love.”  She explained, “I love new beginnings and being part of something magical… teaching our young learners.”  Thank you to Mrs. Howland a Columbia Hero, for being an amazing teacher and making a difference in her students’ lives each and every day!