Perched atop a tiny chair with her students’ colorful artwork splashed across the wall behind her, kindergarten teacher Tami Glenn is in her element. Recently named elementary school teacher of the year for the Bryan Independent School District (ISD), Glenn’s optimism and energetic smile reflect the confidence of someone who has found their passion.
Even if she initially pictured a very different future for herself.
“Growing up I always wanted to work with and help kids, but I wanted to be a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon,” said Glenn. “I babysat and worked at church nurseries, but I swore I was never going to be a teacher even though it was essentially my calling.”
Originally from Boling, Texas, Glenn enrolled at Blinn to pursue her Associate of Science in Psychology while working at a local Montessori school. Though she initially pursued a degree in another discipline, Glenn realizes a career in education was always meant to be.
“I took almost every child development course I could,” she said. “I got my degree in psychology, which in hindsight is the background for child development. It was all connected.”
After completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sam Houston State University, Glenn returned to her Blinn roots to pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree in Early Childhood Education while also earning her teacher certification, a move that ignited her career teaching kindergarten at Anson Jones Elementary.
“Blinn’s program really prepared me to become a teacher,” said Glenn. “Many of the teachers I had at Blinn are still advocates, allies, and resources for me even now.”
The connection she felt for Blinn led to a position as an instructor in the Early Childhood Education Program while she also worked towards her master’s degree in education from Stephen F. Austin State University.
“I always say by day I’m a kindergarten teacher, by night I’m a college instructor. I have the best of both worlds because here I am teaching these young kids to love learning, and then I get to help train the adults who have that same passion for the profession.”
“Tami is one of our shining stars who truly reflects the passion of a lifelong learner,” Blinn Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator Amy Jones said. “Her story is so inspirational for our students who are about to become teachers themselves. She has such a depth of knowledge because of all her years in the classroom and her recognition as Bryan ISD’s elementary school teacher of the year is well deserved.”
Blinn’s Early Childhood Education Program provides students with the skills and credentials to excel in positions as teachers in public and private childcare facilities and other early childhood programs. Blinn’s program offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Early Childhood Education as well as certificate and Occupational Skills Award options, which students can complete on their way to the AAS degree. Students also are prepared to transfer to some of Texas’s leading bachelor’s degree programs.
As Glenn surveys her cluttered classroom, she sees nothing but potential.
“This is where it all starts. If you can instill a love of learning at such an early age, it sets that foundation for success down the road,” Glenn said. “I love working with 5- and 6-year-olds because they have those a-ha moments that are just amazing. If they can look back on kindergarten and think ‘wow, that teacher really loved me, she really cared about me,’ that’s my goal at the end of the day.”
For more information about Blinn’s Early Childhood Education Program, visit www.blinn.edu/early-childhood-education.
Courtesy of Blinn College District
