Jenny Dever is a teacher of writers, not a writing teacher.
She has spent 23 years teaching English and writing at Bowling Green City Schools.
Dever is the final Inspirational Educator honored this month by the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club. She
represented the high school.
The fourth annual Kiwanis Inspirational Educator Awards also honored Jessica Swonger and Bruce Corrigan.
All three outstanding teachers were peer selected by their colleagues for their exceptional impact on
their students as well as their fellow teachers. Dever’s colleagues agree that she has a passion for
student achievement both in and out of the classroom.
“Her students monitor spellcheck to make sure spellcheck is correct,” quipped Mike Shertzer in his
introduction. And “she doesn’t allow participles to dangle.”
Dever, who is used to talking to 17-year-olds, said it is rare that a person is given the chance to talk
to a captive audience of peers.
“Should I subject you on a lecture on the life and times of Jennifer Dever? Should I see this as a chance
to debut my future retirement job as a stand-up comic? Should I take a cue from my new hero, Meryl
Streep, and get political? Give an interpretive dance? Unveil my unpublished epic poem?
“All of these options tempted me,” she continued. “Instead I will share my good fortune. I love to spend
my days in a place built to inspire people and help them to improve their minds and lives.”
Being singled out is very uncomfortable when surrounded by excellent educators, she said.
“I see myself as part of a team,” she said.
Dever teaches AP English, academic writing and English 12.
Her life is family, school and gardening, and she likes to plant the seeds that grow and bloom into
beautiful things.
While science, technology, engineering and math often grab the headlines, “English classes encapsulate
many of the skills that lead to personal and societal success” such as communication, critical thinking
and writing.
She has taught in five schools in her career, and in each place “my colleagues and I care about our
students.”
The wife of a former Army officer, she has taught since 1985, including in two Department of
Defense-supported schools, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and in Nuremberg, Germany.
“They and their parents knew their education was the ticket to their dreams.”
She returned to her home state of Ohio in 1993.
“So far this is my favorite place to be stationed.”
She earned a bachelor of science in English education from Ohio State University and an master of arts in
English from Bowling Green State University and is a recipient of the 2010 Martha Holden Jennings
Scholar Award.
Technology has had the greatest impact in the classroom, she said.
It is not uncommon to hear her say “OK class, after you log into your Chromebooks, and before you start
your Membean quiz, share the Google document you created last night on Google Classroom and also submit
it through Turnitin.com.”
She then channeled Streep by taking advantage of a public stage to share her political opinions.
“As an American citizen, a patriot and a mother, I’m worried about the attacks on public education,”
Dever said. “As a teacher, I will add plenty to this list. Our legislators at the state and national
levels keep adding hoops that my students and I must jump through that waste our time and impede our
academic progress. And we get punished for not succeeding under these conditions.”
She added that these mandates repel too many talented young people from becoming a teacher.
Kiwanians praised her dedication.
“You made an incredible difference in my daughter’s life and made her feel like she belonged,” Melanie
Stretchbery said.
“She gives above and beyond for kids,” added schools Superintendent Francis Scruci.
The awards have been supported by Bowling Green PTOs, the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Bowling Green,
The Copy Shop and the school district. Each honoree receives a monetary award and will be recognized
with a plaque on permanent display in the children’s library of the Wood County District Public Library.
Kiwanis President Rebecca Ferguson said the Inspirational Educator recognition was “a great idea.”
“We get to spend February honoring public school teachers,” she said, adding that teachers “take care of
our kids, who are our future.”
