Anne Jefferson’s reason for teaching is straightforward. She wants to make a difference in the lives of special needs students and their families.
Jefferson was recently selected as the 2017 Teacher of the Year at Voigt Elementary School. She has served as an educator for almost two years with all of them being at Voigt teaching special education.
Jefferson’s journey to the classroom began with her knowing that she enjoyed helping individuals with disabilities. Taking time off to be a stay-at-home mom, the tipping point to her pursuing a career in education finally came when she decided to apply for a paraprofessional position in an Functional Communication Classroom program at a Round Rock ISD elementary school. After getting a taste of life as a teacher, she knew that this was the direction she needed to go.
“I am thrilled that I get to go to work with my students and team everyday,” Jefferson said. “I am so fortunate. My desire to make a difference has inspired me to think outside the box and find ways for students to learn important life and academic skills through real life situations.”
Jefferson strives to enrich the lives of her students by creating authentic learning opportunities for individuals to develop skills in a nurturing and encouraging environment. One initiative on campus that she has created to facilitate this is the Voigt Opportunity Café. Students run the café by taking and processing orders and through that learn multiple math, communication and science concepts.
“When we interact with our customers, we are working on appropriate social skills and soft skills that make a big difference in whether students are employable in the future,” Jefferson said.
Although she has only been teaching for two years, she has been able to make great contributions to the Voigt learning community. Voigt Principal Cheryl Hester praises her as a great addition to the team and a stand out educator.
“Anne Jefferson is amazing with our students,” Hester said. “She works so well with all teachers to ensure her students are included in our general education population. The creation of the Voigt Opportunity Café has given our Functional Academic Classroom students the amazing opportunity to develop life skills. Having her on our campus has been such a great addition to our community.”
