Jen Dugan Agne: Mom & Educator -286

The Story Behind Her Success

I point out my student’s strengths so that they can start believing in themselves. Every child has a craving to learn. They are just like little sponges. –Jen Dugan Agne

When you think back to your education, was there one teacher who saw your talents before you did? Meet my longtime friend Jen Dugan Agne. A 5th-grade teacher at the Marie Hastings School in Lexington, Massachusetts, she LOVES what she does. In fact, she’s been the kind of teacher students never forget for 38 years. Says Jen: “My heart is full every day. I tell them all the time, who else would I want to hang out with but these honest little souls?” The youngest of three girls, Jen was raised in the town where she teaches and recalls being very shy as a child. It was her 4th-grade physical education teacher who saw something in her that she didn’t see in herself. The result was a lifelong love of sports and a commitment to be a school teacher someday. A graduate of Boston University with a BS and a Masters degree in Elementary Education, Jen set out for San Bernadino, California, where she taught 35 first graders for a year in a community where migrant workers and their families come and go throughout the school year, creating gaps in learning, making education very difficult for students. Back in Boston, she noticed an ad for a company called On Location Education and was hired as the tutor on the set of the movie Mermaids, starring Cher, Winona Ryder, and Christina Ritchie. From there, she joined the national tour of Les Miserables, where she ran her classroom like a one-room schoolhouse for the four children in the cast. All of these experiences have nurtured Jen’s goal of being the best teacher a child could ever ask for. When the school year begins, she explains: “We are a family, and we have each other’s backs, both in the classroom and outside of the classroom. We respect each other.” The proud mother of two, Jen is a two-time heart attack survivor who believes that life is short and “time is of the essence. If you have something to say, say it because you might not have that chance again.” For 23 minutes of pure teacher magic, just hit that download button! #teacher #gratitude #heartattack #inspiration #thanksgiving