Meet a Lower Division Teacher

In this video, Jen Stoll, Second Grade Teacher, shares that her favorite part about Lower Division is getting to work with all different grade levels of students. “You really get to know the students when they first come in, and you start to form these great relationships with our kiddos, and then I really love seeing them as they’re big kids later on and then getting to see them as high school kiddos.”

She also highlights the abundance of resources offered to teachers at Berkeley. “We really have a wealth of resources at our fingertips. We have personnel that we can go to for questions and the professional development opportunities have been amazing. I’ve had the opportunity to go to New York for a week and learn from the best about writing.”

Stoll describes Berkeley students as “curious.” “They are eager to learn, they come through the door every day, they’re enthusiastic, they want to know what’s going on, what’s to come, and that energy is just contagious. So, it’s a great place to be.”

Regarding the campus, she says, “It’s always bustling. There’s always something going on. No matter what nook you are in, there’s always something happening. It could be walking in from the Buc Stop and the Pipe and Drum Corps is playing. It could be hearing kindergarteners playing on the playground. So, there’s always a buzz happening, and it makes you want to peek around every corner to see what’s going on.”

Finally, she reflects on her colleagues, “They’re spectacular. I’ve learned so much. The passion that they have for their craft and the profession is just astounding. I feel so lucky to work with such wonderful people.” 

Learn more about Lower Division Academics.