“Suddenly I was all my peers’ boss,” said Jean. “I had to motivate and manage the people I worked with every day.” Jean states, “Becoming the Vocational Director has allowed me the best of both worlds. Having been a vocational teacher myself, I could help the other teachers in supporting their growth and development while being able to grow the vocational programs for the school.” In fact, during her tenure Jean has created four new Chapter 74 Vocational Programs to serve the students and the community: Construction Craft Laborers, Dental Assisting, Engineering, and Legal and Protective Services.
 |
| Jean George |
Jean says her passion as both an educator and a Vocational Director has been supporting every student to help them gain the skills and knowledge needed to make informed decisions about their future, whatever they decide to do, whether it’s college, post-secondary, working, or the military.
Jean believes throughout history, children haven’t changed. They still have the same attributes and qualities. She finds students to be authentic, honest, fun to work with and similar in nature in regards to their feelings and emotions. She says “Their issues may be different in today’s world with all the new technology, but underneath it all, students are basically the same and have the same core needs.”
Her philosophy in teaching has always been that each student has their own individual and unique qualities and attributes. Each student has his or her own story. Once we know their story, we can serve the student both academically and emotionally. Every student is a valuable asset to this school and contributes to the culture of this school.
“I’ve loved my years at Tri-County,” reflects Jean. “I had students that I’ve taught in preschool and was able to see them again in the high school and then as a parent of a preschooler. You could say I’ve seen the whole cycle of a preschooler.” She laughs and remembers fondly, “It’s been like a second home where children grow, leave, come back and tell me all about their lives.”
In addition to her experience as an Early Education teacher and a Vocational Director at Tri-County, Jean has also taught as an adjunct professor at Dean College in Franklin MA.
Now Jean is ready to leave behind the history of her professional life and delve into the unknown future. She looks forward to spending more time with her grandchildren, traveling, playing golf with friends, and of course, keeping abreast of education and trends.
Always an educator, Jean will continue to serve on the Advisory Committee for Early Education and Special Education students at Regis College and will remain in her role as a liaison to facilitate OSHA training for teachers at the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA).
Stephen Dockray, Superintendent, states “Jean has impacted thousands of lives through her work as an Early Education teacher and Vocational Director. Throughout her career, Jean has always put the students first. It is that approach, along with her compassionate and caring nature, that has enabled her to enjoy such a long and impactful career working with students in our community. She has demonstrated her unwavering leadership and commitment, and we thank her for her years of service here at Tri-County.”
Tri-County RVTHS, located at 147 Pond Street in Franklin, is a recipient of the High Schools That Work Gold Achievement Award and serves the communities of Franklin, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleboro, Plainville, Seekonk, Sherborn, Walpole, and Wrentham.
No comments:
Post a Comment