Jean Giles
Lambuth College (TN)
BS Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Covenant College (GA)
MEd Curriculum and Instruction
Tell us about your family.
I grew up in a Christian family with my five siblings. I have one brother and four sisters. My extended family (my siblings, their spouses, and their children) just continues to get bigger and bigger. We are blessed!
What were you like as a child?
I was the middle child who was very inquisitive, fighting for recognition in a large family. I loved exploring and hiking. I learned more about God as I grew up, but it wasn't until my sophomore year in college that God truly got my heart. It has been a progressive journey to trusting that I am the daughter of the King and He truly cherishes me. I don't have to seek acceptance and recognition.
What is a favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memories revolve around our family vacations. We never stayed in a hotel until I was a senior in high school. We camped everywhere we went. My favorites were camping in the Smoky Mountains, camping along the Tennessee River, and a month-long circular road trip west that included the Petrified Forest, the Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, crossing the southwestern deserts, California from San Diego to the Redwoods, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, and St. Louis, before returning to Tennessee. We live in a beautiful part of God's creation!
Why did you become a teacher?
I love children! I love teaching and helping kids understand things! As a student, I was a struggling reader. Homework was a battle every night. It wasn't until a children's literature class that I began to love to read. I didn't want students to struggle like I had. I later realized through training in Barton Reading and Spelling that I had dyslexia and it was never diagnosed. I was passed through school and never really given the skills I needed to master reading until later. It was too much work. I have always wanted to help students who struggle to overcome their fears and frustration with reading.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
I most enjoy coming to work at SRCS because it is a place where truth is taught and grace is extended to the students, families, and faculty.
What is a favorite book of yours?
My favorite book is Little Women. It is the book that made me love reading! In the pages of that book, I met myself in the character of Jo.
