She and her 17 first-grade students prepared Tomato Basil Soup during their school day this past Tuesday.
The boys and girls chopped and sliced and mixed all of the ingredients into a pot and had delicious bowls full for lunch, and, well, that’s all the cooking talk Jaime Young can stand. No kidding. That’s it. Look below. That’s why, in the question-and-answer part of this exercise below, she simply changes the topic.
Look. Where we say “culinary,” and Ohio County’s Teacher of the Year (2023-24) hears “photography” somehow? OK, well, hey, Young must be pretty good since she clicks away for family and friends, right? Wink, wink?
Now, what the educator did not explain, though, is what that Tomato Basil Soup represents, and that is a way of teaching unlike what most adults today would recall from first grade. Today’s children learn without realizing it because they’re too busy having fun making soup, writing a class book, going on virtual field trips, and raising baby chicks for a local farmer so they can study the animal’s life cycle.
In first grade.
And these 6- and 7-year-old kids also do hands-on science lessons and math teasers and they learn about nutrition, too, during lessons delivered differently than even their own mothers and fathers recall. Technology, any educator will insist, has had a ginormous impact on education during the last three decades, but over the past five years the pace of change has greatly accelerated.
So, making soup slows it all down, if only for one morning of one day of the mandatory one-eighty.
What is the best meal you’ve ever prepared for your husband and daughters?
I enjoy cooking and baking but that doesn’t mean I’m the best at it. I try to have fun with it and try new things. I’m not sure it’s my best meal, but a chicken casserole that I would make with my great aunt growing up is probably my favorite to make. I love that it takes me back to my childhood and that my family will eat it.
My oldest daughter is a very picky eater. It has always been challenging to find new foods that she will enjoy. That is one of the reasons I enjoy cooking with my first-grade class. I like them to try new and healthy foods even if it is just one bite. I have found that cooking with my students is a fun and easy way to review skills, write, and try something new. Tomato Basil Soup was a hit by the way!
I know in (this) interview that we discuss cooking, however photography is a real passion of mine. I have taken photographs for family and friends for years. I enjoy carrying this over to school. I often take pictures for fundraising events and activities to showcase Woodsdale Elementary. I also take pictures for the seniors on my husband’s basketball team. I enjoy being creative, cooking and photography are two ways I get to do that.
Have you ever given your husband coaching advice? Why or why not?
I took dance lessons and was a cheerleader growing up. My two daughters are the complete opposite. They love sports and spend the majority of their time playing basketball and volleyball. My husband not only coaches the Wheeling Park Girls Basketball team, he also coaches Leah’s travel team. It makes me really happy that they have this connection.
You will often find them watching NBA and college games together in the living room. I try to make it to as many games as I can for both my girls and the high school basketball team. It is amazing to watch them grow up and follow the process of each new step.
I have so much confidence in Ryan as a father and coach. He really loves coaching and wants nothing but the best for his players. While I have watched countless games over the years, I will leave the coaching and sports talk to him.
What are examples of the benchmarks you watch for in first graders?
Students in first grade have a very important job and that is to learn how to read. My goal as a first-grade teacher is for my students to enjoy school so that they can accomplish this job. We start at the very beginning with letter recognition and sound review at the start of the school year. By the end of the year, my students are strong and confident readers.
Writing is also a very important skill in first grade. There is a strong focus on letter, word, and sentence formation. We write daily in our journals and by the end of the school year they are writing paragraphs and stories.
During the beginning of the year, math lessons have a strong focus on addition and subtraction strategies. We cover so many skills in math that it is important to provide time for skill review as the year progresses.
One of the biggest things that I watch for in my students is how they grow socially and emotionally over the year. It is most important to me that they are healthy and happy. When students enjoy coming into the classroom each day and working with me each day, the learning will fall into place.
What is the most awkward question you’ve ever been asked by a first grader?
Teachers often feel that they could write a book of funny things students say. One thing that I have learned is that 6 and 7 year olds do not have a filter. If you are having a bad hair day, they will let you know. If you have worn the same outfit to work too many times, they will let you know.
My all-time favorite is always when they ask if I have a baby in my belly. I have been teaching for 14 years and have never not been asked this question at some point during each school year.
I have convinced myself not to take offense when they say it.
I really found myself thinking about this question. I have had students bring in behavior slips that they have signed pretending to be their parents. I know that this is probably not an uncommon thing but imagine it in a first grader’s writing.
I had a year when I had a little boy bring a gallon of milk in a container and sit it on his desk to drink for the day. His mom still laughs when the memory pops up.
Another one of my favorites is when a little girl asked my dad if he was the president. They are so sweet and innocent and I love finding joy with them each day.
How is first grade different today compared to when you were in first grade?
I can still remember my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Donovan. I can’t remember everything from that time, but I do remember she was kind and patient. I have been very lucky with teachers that I have experienced over my educational path. There are many that left a lasting impact with me.
I will often tell parents that school looks very different from when they attended. Technology has to be the biggest difference. I didn’t have a cell phone until my senior year of high school. Children today have access to tablets and technology from a very early age.
There are some negatives but I choose to focus on all of the benefits that it can offer. There are countless programs that educators can use to enhance their lessons. Technology is what these students relate to, so I try my best to find connections that intertwine it to the skills we are working with.
I have been teaching for 14 years and over that time the students have changed in the way that they learn. Students want to move when they learn and have hands-on experiences. I do my best to meet these needs daily.
I fill my classroom with music, colorful art, books, and activities. Long story short … school is a place where they want to be.
