Mrs. Jennifer Burkholder
Personal Profile:
I was born and raised a buckeye in the wonderful state of Ohio. I am a die-hard Ohio State buckeye fan! My parents not only brought me up right by teaching me to cheer for the best team, but also taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it should affect my life on a daily basis. The gospel has transformed my life completely! I am blessed to have married to my high school sweetheart, Justin. We have been married for two years and live in Naperville, where my husband is a youth pastor. We LOVE engaging and encouraging students on a weekly basis and building relationships with them. God has given us a huge passion to mentor and work with youth. We have had opportunities to go on mission’s trips near or fear, be it Iowa or Wisconsin to Mexico or Nicaragua. Other than spending time with our youth group, I enjoy hanging out with our small group, watching or playing sports, and eating good food!
Professional Profile:
I attended Moody Bible Institute after college to pursue a B.A. in ESL. My desire was to teach English to Spanish-speakers. After being there for two years, I felt God pulling me towards majoring in Spanish. Since Moody did not offer Spanish, I moved back home to Ohio and attended Mount Union College. While there I was able to study abroad in Mexico City, where I attended La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. I graduated from Mount Union in May of 2008 with my B.A. in Spanish. In March of 2009, I began a Teacher Certification/Master of Arts program through National Louis University. In April 2010, I completed the certification process and was hired on by Timothy Christian in May. In order to complete my M.A. in Teaching, I have four more classes, which I greatly look forward to finishing. I would love to further pursue ESL certification in the upcoming years.
Philosophical Profile:
I desire to make Christ known to my students and to encourage them in their walk with Christ, even if it is in another language. Even in just starting out in the Spanish language, I believe that my students can learn verses, Bible stories, and even sing songs that promote Christ and the gospel. My students can take this and use it to minister to others outside of the Spanish classroom – be it in their neighborhoods or even internationally. In my classroom, I also strive to provide activities and lessons that keep students engaged and moving. Each of my lessons includes various elements that make students converse with one another in the language, write it, or act it out. Students will not just come into the classroom and sit in their seats for fifty minutes. They will move around and be able to experience the language for themselves. I do not want that my students only know simple words or phrases, but that they become proficient in it.
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