70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement
Teaching, Laughing & Making an Impact: Years of JA in the Classroom
Ashley Dekarske, Merrill Lynch
 

I’ve had the joy of teaching kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 5th grade classes—both JA-in-a-Day and the traditional five-week format. Most of my time has been spent at Harrison Elementary, though I’ve also volunteered in Iowa City, Walcott, and other Davenport schools. Kindergarten and 1st grade have always held a special place in my heart, and I’ve been fortunate to teach the same classrooms in those grades every year.

One of my favorite moments happens during the 1st grade JA Our Families program, session three. The first vocabulary word is entrepreneur. After reviewing what we learned the week before and chatting with the students about their week, I hold up the vocabulary card and ask, “Who wants to give this word a try?” Their guesses are always creative and enthusiastic.

Once they’ve taken their best shot, I pronounce the word entrepreneur and share the definition. Then I ask, “Does anyone think that sounds like a French word?” The kids usually giggle and nod—and that’s when I lean into my most dramatic, over-the-top French accent and shout, “ENTREPRENEUR!” followed by an exaggerated “Oui, oui, oui!” The students always burst into laughter, but the best part is that the teacher laughs every single time. It’s a small moment, but it’s one of my favorites year after year.

Share your JA story - https://heartland.ja.org/about-ja/opportunity/celebrating-70-years