10 Minutes With Tipton: Summit Charter Intermediate Academy's Jenifer Sanders

10 Minutes with Tipton originated in January 2022 on the Education Page. Students in the After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program at Tipton Elementary School take time to Zoom with individuals in the community.

What is your job title/role in our community?

Jenifer Sanders, International Baccalaureate coordinator and mentor teacher at Summit Charter Intermediate Academy, Burton School District

"I am the International Baccalaureate coordinator and mentor teacher at Summit Charter Intermediate Academy. We are a sixth through eighth grade middle school in the Burton School District."

Please tell us a little bit about yourself - Your background, where you grew up, your family.

"I was born and attended local schools in Porterville. I graduated from Porterville High School, attended Porterville College and graduated from Fresno State where I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies and my teaching credential.

When I was in fourth grade, I had an amazing teacher named Mrs. Tenney. It was because of her that I decided I wanted to be a teacher. She made connections with students and made us feel important and cared about.

I am very proud of my family. I have been married to my husband for 30 years and we have three amazing adult sons. Our family has continued to grow and we have been blessed with two wonderful daughter-in-laws and the three most beautiful granddaughters in the world.

Being a teacher has allowed me to have a career, do what I love and also to be a mom and a wife, which is really important to me."

Can you tell us about your career and your current position and what you do each day?

"This is my 25th year in education. I have taught grades first through fourth and I was a classroom teacher for 19 years. I have been an instructional coach/mentor for five years and the International Baccalaureate Coordinator at SCIA for four years. As a classroom teacher, I loved working in partnership with families to support my students to grow.

After 19 years of teaching, I decided to make a change. Having a dual role keeps me very busy, but I love what I do. My days consist of working closely with new teachers who are working towards earning their teaching credentials. We plan lessons together, I do coaching cycles with them and support in any way they may need. In addition, I plan and present professional development and give teachers feedback in the classroom."

We understand that you work with the International Baccalaureate program. Can you tell us about this program and what makes it a good program for students?

"I was an International Baccalaureate teacher for six years before becoming a coordinator. This allowed me to see the program from the perspective of the classroom. Having that experience has helped support me in my role as a coordinator.

The International Baccalaureate Program's foundational principles support developing the whole child. It promotes building good character through the Learner Profile Traits and encouraging students to become inquirers by asking questions to grow their knowledge. The IB encourages students to take action in their world to make a positive difference and be reflective on how they can grow their strengths and improve their weaknesses to become the best version of themselves.

There are 5,600 International Baccalaureate schools in 159 different countries around the world. These schools educate close to two million students. The IB encourages students to be globally-minded, to take action and be reflective on their experiences. I am very proud to be a part of such a wonderful program at an amazing school. I would highly encourage all parents to consider an IB education for their child in the Burton School District."

What do you love about your career? What do you dislike about your career?

"One thing I love about my career is working with new teachers so that I can help them grow and develop into strong educators. Teaching is the profession that creates all other professions. What I mean by this is that teachers help to grow students to become teachers, astronauts, doctors, lawyers and all other professions. This is why it is critical that new teachers receive the needed support to become strong educators that will make a difference for many years to come.

I truly love my career and if I get to the point that I am not happy being in education, then I know it will be time that I retire."

Would you encourage others to pursue your career?

"Yes! I would strongly encourage others to pursue being a teacher, but I don't believe just anybody can become a teacher. Teachers must be dedicated, willing to put in countless hours, and have a love for children. Being a teacher is hard work, but the rewards are so much greater."

What is something that might surprise members of the public (either about you, or your career)?

"A couple of things that might surprise others is that I met my husband when I was a freshman in high school. I was 14 years old and we have been married for 30 years. I am a boy mom, and we have been blessed with three amazing sons. Now that I am a Nana, we just have granddaughters, who bring us such great joy."

What advice do you have for young people who might be pursuing your line of work?

"My advice for someone who is thinking about going into education is to volunteer in the classroom or be a substitute teacher to find out what being a teacher is all about. It is one of the hardest careers, but also one of the most rewarding."

Anything else you would like to add? (Maybe a current, or past project you’re proud of?)

"One of my responsibilities, as an International Baccalaureate Coordinator, is to organize important events we have at Summit Charter Intermediate Academy. One is ‘Meet the Pros’ in October in which we invite professionals from our community to our campus. This year we had law enforcement officers, an architect, firemen, our superintendent, a newspaper editor and WalMart Distribution, just to name a few. Our eighth grade students were able to interview and talk to them about the different professions they were in and use this knowledge to complete their Community Project.

Another important event in February at SCIA is our eighth grade IB Community Project Showcase Event. In order for our eighth grade students to complete their International Baccalaureate Middle Year's Program, they must complete a 15-hour community project. Our students choose a topic that they are interested in, create a project, take action in the community and share their work at our IB Showcase Event.

This year we had 91 projects completed by 126 students. Some project topics were creating a volleyball clinic for our incoming 6th graders, reading and tutoring elementary students and donating to the homeless. Students also volunteered at animal shelters, wrote and sent letters to our military and donated needed items to our Veterans. The project is about giving back to the community and taking action to make our world better.

Lastly, I am very proud to help oversee our IB Ambassador group at SCIA. This group of students went through an interview process in order to be chosen and must maintain good grades and behavior. They create and organize IB-related activities on campus and take action in our community. One activity they did recently was place paper shamrocks all over campus for St. Patrick's Day. When a student found one, they had to share how they had demonstrated good IB behavior and they earned a gold chocolate coin. They also take action by volunteering at various events in our community."

Wendy and Nataliapaloma are both sixth graders and they enjoy playing video games. Both are in the After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program at Tipton Elementary School.

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