JENNIFER ORPITELLI GURNEA
Educator. Collaborator. Creator.
ABOUT
I am an energetic teacher who is also a lifelong learner. I seek to constantly improve my craft and integrate technology when it will enhance the learner’s experience. I strive to inspire my students to love reading and always produce their very best work each and every time—goals I strive to live by, as well!
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I am a proud Aggie, class of 2024, as I seek my EdD in Curriculum & Instruction so I can continue to help schools (and hopefully districts) shape meaningful programs to support student achievement in school..and in life.
CREATOR
Making engaging content to feed the creative soul
TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS
est. Summer 2019
My lessons are a no-fuss, no-muss format. Many TpT offerings are cute and pretty...mine try to save paper, provide self-reflection and opportunities to record peer points of view. My goal is to empower STUDENTS to be the source of knowledge in addition to the teacher. My student choice menus and graphic organizers support high-achievers as well as those who require additional scaffolds so ALL students can find success.
UPDATE 2023: I've begun designing lessons for Mexican American Studies, and they have been met with positive reviews from colleagues!
est. April 2020
This new method of communication seeks to engage students in educational videos and clips from my class.
It will also keep former students connected so they might share successes (and possibly failures) so we can learn from one another. This is powerful because students can inspire one another toward greatness!
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UPDATE 2024: as students graduate and head off to college, my professional Instragram is a great way to keep in touch!
YOUTUBE
est. Spring 2020
My channel focuses on the "Read Aloud Book Tours" that I do in my ELA classes. As I leave ELA and move into teaching History, I still want to share my love of Young Adult (YA) books with others. I read just 3-4 pages of a book and share some initial reactions to the text to see if I can "hook" a reader into getting their own copy of the book and reading it entirely. I'm always working to find that Home Run book for reluctant readers.
UPDATE 2021: I've switched content areas to Social Studies creating almost 100 videos during the pandemic to support online learners. Creating accessible content with visually pleasing quality is key to engaging this generation.