LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Jackie Fink was nominated by her colleague, Erica Kaufmann.

Ms. Fink is a LifeChanger. She fosters a positive learning environment for everyone who steps foot in her classroom, whether you are a student within her classroom or co-teaching with her. Just like Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus, Ms. Fink encourages you to make mistakes and get messy because those are signs of learning.

Ms. Fink cares deeply about the students in her class. It's not uncommon for her to quietly sneak a pair of new tennis shoes into a backpack of a student in need. She gets to know all of the students in her class so deeply that she knows exactly what her next step is to improve their learning. She focuses on learning about her students as whole children, not just faces that she needs to teach or numbers on a spreadsheet. Ms. Fink pays attention to every factor in each child's life.

Ms. Fink is a teacher leader within her school. She has taken on updating her teaching practice to align with the science of reading. She's constantly updating her practice based on new articles she reads, podcasts she has listened to, or something she found through her own research. Ms. Fink is a learner, which makes her a dynamic educator. She's also part of the district's literacy committee, going through LETRS training, and is piloting a new language arts curriculum for the district. She's moving her school district forward.

"Jackie is a LifeChanger, and she has personally changed my life as an educator, as well. I had the pleasure of co-teaching with Jackie for several years as the classroom intervention specialist. I learned so much from Jackie during those years. She inspired me to think differently, dive deeper, and to constantly be a learner. Jackie Fink helped make me the educator I am today. She is a LifeChanger," said Kaufmann.