Anyone who thinks history is boring just needs to spend a little time in the Edgewood Independent School District with Jennine Zeleznik-Zepeda. She is the KENS 5 SACU Golden Apple ExCEL Award winner who teaches Texas history at Brentwood Middle School and enthusiasm should be Mrs. Zeleznik- Zepeda's middle name.
She brings a Texas- sized passion to teaching state history although she was born and raised in Ohio.
"Since I moved to Texas I've been fascinated by the history. Now I love having the chance of bringing that joy to my classroom. In Ohio we have the civil war sites but there's not as much as the fantastic history as there is in Texas. It's just fun to teach.," said Zeleznik-Zepeda.
"She just makes me want to keep going. There's nothing that you can't learn," said seventh grader Brianna Torres.
"She's very energetic when she teaches us. She makes it fun," said seventh grader Saint Morales.
"I just love getting the kids enthused about something," said Zeleznik-Zepeda.
Her enthusiasm is contagious. She gets the students involved by handing out a ticket to everyone who participates in class. On Friday, there's a drawing for prizes.
"They're middle schoolers and they like that immediate gratification. If they answer something they think 'Yea me!' ," said Zeleznik-Zepeda
Zeleznik-Zepeda's ultimate goal is to use history to help the students find their future.
"My goal is that they find their passion in life.
I really found mine in teaching and I hope they find theirs wherever that might be," said Zeleznik-Zepeda.
