Jennifer Devlin - Upper School STEAM Teacher, and 10th year as co-coach of the Science Olympiad team with Andy Shepard. Jenn teaches Robotics II, Design Thinking, and Introduction to Computer Programming.

 

Role you were hired for, and any other roles over the years?
I initially was a substitute teacher for Shipley and some other area schools over a two year period.  One of Shipley’s math teachers stepped into the role of Dean of Students which left the math department short handed.  I was looking for a part time position so it worked out well for me and for Shipley.  I taught Algebra 1 for a few years and when the STEAM Department started, I started teaching some of the STEAM courses.  The STEAM Department has grown A LOT since its inception.  I am so happy to be able to continue to support the programs and see it continue to grow in the depth and breadth of courses and activities Shipley can offer.

 

What did you do/where did you work before Shipley?
I worked as an electrical engineer in semiconductor manufacturing for over 15 years, both in Silicon Valley (California) and more locally. The plant I worked for in Willow Grove shut down when I was pregnant with my second child, so I took a little time off.  I worked for a realtor for 5 years while I decided my next career move.  I have always enjoyed teaching people.  When I was an engineer, I used to hold little mini-classes for the line workers so they could learn about the semiconductor products they were manufacturing.  I started substitute teaching to see if I would enjoy teaching.  I certainly did!  I really enjoyed being able to tie things I saw when working as an engineer to lessons I was teaching in the classroom.  I think this most commonly happens in my Robotics II class where we work with discrete components to make circuits.  It is fun to share my experience with students that are curious and exploring how circuits work.

 

Most memorable teaching moment at Shipley?
In my computer animation class a student came in and was like “look what I did” - he had programmed a whole game in the software I just introduced to them last week.  Now he did it in a language he knew (not the one we are learning), but it was still what I was talking about and a stretch of his skills.  I love when a student sees something in class that excites them so much, they spend time at home pursuing it and bring it back to class to show me. There are times when I introduce a new project in class and we will plan on spending more time on it during subsequent classes but when the next class comes around, and a student comes to class having already sunk a few hours at home into the project because they are so excited about the topic. 

 

What has kept you here so long?
Beside the great lunches?!  I love to see that “aha moment” light up in a students’ eyes.  It seems like a cliched phrase but it really is a great feeling when a student internalizes their learning, feels they’ve crossed a threshold, and you have helped them find that path.  I so enjoy seeing students’ take pride in something they’ve created.  Oftentimes it exceeds where they thought they would land with a project.