A Fairfax County science teacher was named “Outstanding Woman Educator” by the Delta Kappa Gamma sorority in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week.
Jessica Fish teaches life sciences at Whitman Middle School in Alexandria, Virginia. After a difficult year, she wants to teach her students the power of learning.
“I am so incredibly happy to be back in the classroom,” Fish said.
Her passion for education began years ago, when she taught English to refugees in Uganda.
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“Since then, I’ve worked really hard to continue to forge those deep relationships and learn from my students,” Fish said.
When making her lesson plans, Fish makes an effort to make time for mindfulness.
“We found that if we didn’t take care of our students’ mental wellness … they weren’t going to learn the academics,” Fish said.
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She’s also part of a team at the school that helps build outdoor learning spaces with wildlife habitats and fresh food gardens.
“Everywhere outside can be an opportunity for people to learn,” Fish said. “I want them to understand that we are nature and we are part of the earth.”
Correction (May 6, 2021 at 11 a.m.): This story has been updated to reflect that Fish taught in Uganda. She also taught refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia in the United States.
