Jill Dufresne - Fifth Grade

Falls teaching faculty in 2017, Jill likes to think of herself as a second mom. “Because our students don’t switch classes, I am with them all day, so it’s more of a family than a school.” Jill taught in a low-income area of Louisiana for five years prior to moving to Oregon. This background makes her very appreciative of her Oregon students. Jill shares the story of a special needs student in her class that everyone helps and cares about. “In a smaller school kids grow up together, so everyone knows each other. That leads to greater empathy to help their classmates.” This sense of having a school family is enhanced because Jill’s husband also works at the school and her son is a first grader. “Every morning I just load up the family and head to the best school I ever taught.” Jill also thinks that the school’s positive discipline approach works at all grade levels. “I am a bit of a disciplinarian, but that goes with caring and encouraging too. I am blessed because I know the students' parents and siblings. I can also work collaboratively with the other teachers to make sure that every student has a positive experience." PREPARATION: Teaching Certification from Southern Oregon University. Oregon Licensed Teacher.