Jennifer A. Wescoe

State:

Pennsylvania and New Jersey

PLS Courses I Teach:

• Meaningful Activities to Generate Interesting Classrooms®
• Purposeful Learning Through Multiple Intelligences®

Year started with PLS:

2007

Why I love teaching PLS courses:

I will find out soon—my first two classes are this June!!

Education:

B.A. in English, Lehigh University;
Masters in Secondary Education, English and Theatre Emphasis, Lehigh University.
Coursework at "Pennsylvania Governor’s Institute for the Arts" and NYU’s "Theatre Educator" Program.

Teaching Experience:

Jennifer Wescoe is excited to join PLS after teaching English and Drama at Freedom High School in the Bethlehem Area School District for the past eight years. In addition to directing the plays and musicals at FHS, she also serves as the school’s Technical Advisor. Jennifer has directed Pennsylvania Youth Theatre’s "Summer Lab Theatre" and is currently the acting director at the Easton State Theatre’s "Spotlight is on You Summer Acting Camp."

Related experience, recognition, awards, etc.:

This past spring, an article co-authored by Jennifer Wescoe and Joseph Shosh entitled "Making Meaningful Theatre in the Empty Space" was featured in English Journal. She also was the recipient of the 2006 James Moffett educational grant and was a featured speaker at the 2007 National Conference of Teachers of English in New York City. Jennifer was also honored as "Soft Rock 100.7’s Teacher of the Quarter" in the spring of 2006. She earned the "C.A.P.S. Excellence in Teaching" Award in 2003.

What I love most about teaching:

I can honestly say that I feel as though I have the best job on earth. Despite the undeniable obstacles that come along with the position, nothing can compete with the feeling you get when a student turns on to learning. Even though you are just a cog in the wheel of a student’s life, your cog may enable that wheel to begin turning.

My favorite moment in teaching:

My students in the FHS Theatre Company take part in an awards program called “The Freddy Awards.” This past year, a student-athlete whom I spent a great deal of time encouraging to give theatre a try won a “Freddy.” When he was giving his acceptance speech, he said, “Ms. Wescoe, you are the highlight of my life. You saw the potential in me, and I wouldn’t be up here if it weren’t for you.”