Profile: Jennifer Ladd
Proficiency Leads to Efficiency
NEIRAD enilno edition
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- Profile: Mrs. Jennifer Ladd
- Hometown: Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Education: Undergrad in Economics from Fordham University and Masters in Education from UCONN
- Family: Married, no children
- Favorite Part of Job: Learning with students; seeing students do well
- Favorite Food: Pizza
- Loves: History
As soon as I walked into World Studies class with Mrs. Ladd, I saw that even before the bell had rung, students had begun to pull out their binders and had started writing things down in their binders. How did these kids know what to do even before the class had started? Why, the teachings of Mrs. Ladd of course!
Apparently, you need to have your binder out when class has started or you get a detention. Although having your binder out at the start of class might seem like a pointless rule, it’s just another way for Mrs. Ladd to make her class efficient. Some kids have even gotten detentions in Mrs. Ladd's class for talking out of turn, and this Neirad reporter can verify because he has seen it happen, (being a student in her class), but instead of seeing it as a harsh punishment for a crime someone can’t help but commit, I decided to find out how Mrs. Ladd's class gets through the day.
To her students, Mrs. Ladd is known to be what some would define as “tough.” Yet, she is tough in every good sense of the word. Sophomore Jake Green said, “She’s hard, and she’s strict, but I’m learning a lot in her class.” Mrs. Ladd has been teaching at the Darien High School for three years, and with students coming out of her class with knowledge and good grades, she obviously has a system that works. Her students seem to be both eager to learn and excited to start up a new debate. Mrs. Ladd's goal for her classes is to see everyone do well. However, she knows that sometimes getting everyone to do well requires a few disciplinary acts.
When asked what she enjoys most about teaching, Mrs. Ladd said, "Learning along with my students." One may find it odd that a teacher, who is usually the one teaching, learns as well. Yet, there is no doubt students come up with different views and opinions on subjects during class that a teacher may not have thought about before, and that information could be restated in the future, to better improve a class discussion. Mrs. Ladd takes time to listen to students’ opinions in class. She also encourages the class to take notes on a discussion as that information could be found on a quiz or test (much to the surprise of an unwary student).
Out of Mrs. Ladd's two classes, World Studies and American Studies, she can't determine which one she likes better as she said, "Both classes are very different, and the students are just as diverse for the classes.”
Outside the classroom, Mrs Ladd has headed up an effort to bring a new club to DHS call Teen Peaceworks. The group is helping bring awareness about domestic and dating violence to Darien High School. “There will be more organizing, more marketing, and focusing on both October and February because they are both important to domestic violence,” she said.
Although a seemingly tough teacher, Mrs. Ladd has a system that helps her students maximize their learning ability. But this reporter was able to turn the tables on Mrs Ladd to stump her with one question: Mrs. Ladd's view on the victor in the upcoming election. “It will be a close one, that's for sure."
For more on the Teen Peaceworks Club, see the November Neirad print edition. (page 13)
