Irving ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year - Shelley Jeoffroy
Shelley Jeoffroy is currently a 5th grade math teacher at Otis Brown Elementary in Irving, Texas. She has formerly taught all subjects, but predominantly math and science. She attended graduate school at the University of Texas in Arlington for her education credentials, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and biology from the same university. In addition to the classroom, Mrs. Jeoffroy has served as a science curriculum and district assessment writer, science district presenter, mentor teacher, team lead for grades 4th and 5th, vertical team lead for math, Gifted and Talented Building Committee member, and Destination Imagination coach. Mrs. Jeoffroy led a team of elementary students for a summer robotics program in which her young scholars won first place for the elementary level and second overall! Mrs. Jeoffroy’s professional development has included annually attending the Conference for and being a member of the Association of Science Teachers of Texas, the National Science Foundation, and she was a participant in the Phil Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy. Mrs. Jeoffroy’s career in education spans 17 years, with the past 15 years serving as an employee of Irving Independent School District. Originally, Mrs. Jeoffroy grew up on a ranch in Santo, Texas and graduated from Weatherford High School. She lived in New York and has traveled and spent extended time outside of the United States where she has made educational contributions globally, serving students in Kenya, Peru, Mexico and Morocco.
Mrs. Jeoffroy’s passion for traveling marks a significant contribution to her teaching career. After having the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of cultures and experiences across the world, she was struck by the powerful impact of good education. She says, “It not only has the power to change individuals but whole societies.” She was sure that one day, she wanted to pursue her passion over a career that simply earned her a paycheck. Mrs. Jeoffroy often re-reads a passage that inspired her long ago and continues to touch her heart in the classroom:
“The future of the world is in my classroom today, a future with the potential for good or bad…Several future presidents are learning from me today; so are the great writers of the next decades, and so are all the so-called ordinary people who will make the decisions in a democracy… Only a teacher? Thank God I have a calling to the greatest profession of all! I must be vigilant every day, lest I lose one fragile opportunity to improve tomorrow.”
Sure of her vocation to be an educator, Mrs. Jeoffroy seeked to find the school that would be the best fit for her. Without an intention to join Irving ISD, destiny led her just there. Jokingly she says, “I was living in Dallas [when I learned of Irving ISD] and although I had heard many wonderful things about Irving ISD, I wasn’t particularly interested in dealing with the daily traffic patterns; I grew up on a ranch! I do NOT like traffic.”
One day at a job fair, however, her plans unexpectedly changed after meeting a representative from the Irving ISD booth. “The line next to the one I was originally in was shortened considerably so I moved to it, and I fatefully met Jackie Gorena. I was immediately drawn to her passion for education and her warmth as a human being. I was invited for a campus interview with the rest of the team. My mother, a Principal at the time in west Texas, told me that I would just feel it when it was the right place. It couldn’t be explained, but I would know what she meant when the time came. And that was exactly my experience as I interviewed at Brown Elementary campus and as I have spent my career in Irving ISD.”
While at Brown Elementary, Jeoffroy has taught all subjects. She is predominantly a math and science teacher who believes in the true engagement science can bring to students. From hands-on labs to field trips and lessons about planets, animals, landforms, and chemistry, Mrs. Jeoffroy loves to have her young scientists explore their environments! In addition, she helps her students dig deeper into “the academia aspect of communicating their knowledge through questioning, writing, and connecting with professional scientists outside of the classroom.”
Among her lessons, her favorite was during a Life Science unit. After learning all about ecosystems, life cycles, food webs, and adaptations, Mrs. Jeoffroy wanted to bring everything to life! “My passion for travel influences my classroom teaching in that since I can’t take my students around the world first hand, I try to bring “the world” to them.” And that is exactly what she did.
Mrs. Jeoffroy was able to “bring” the ocean to them after that lesson to explore the coastline environment. She visited a local dive shop that loaned her scuba diving equipment for her students to try on and learn about! She says, “They eagerly sent wetsuits, fins, regulators, masks, buoyancy compensators, weight belts, dive computers, pressure gauges, snorkels, and air tanks. We tied the equipment elements to not only a prior unit on physical properties of matter but our math lessons and later their ELAR class as well.” To make the experience even better, Mrs. Jeoffroy got a hold of her sister, who at the time was pursuing graduate school at Texas A&M – Corpus Christi to be a marine biologist. Her sister and her colleagues traveled to Brown Elementary with a variety of specimens from all over the world that they had submitted to the Smithsonian for research on Micronesia.
From sand to seashells, Mrs. Jeoffroy’s students were very excited! They later had the opportunity to present their discoveries on Micronesia for Multicultural Night at their school. “They created islands out of groups of desks and conducted research about what made each island unique not only culturally but scientifically. I always believe that being a teacher of children should be fun! There is mountains of scientific evidence that supports that when humans are happy and engaged, they learn and retain information better. I am also dedicated to the notion that I am not teaching “just a 5th grader” but a future innovator and member of society. Therefore, the learning inside the classroom should transcend the walls and connect students to the bigger picture of possibilities outside the classroom.”
As Mrs. Jeofrroy looks forward to many more memories in the classroom such as this one, her advice to fellow teachers is to build relationships with their students and their families. “When students trust that you genuinely care for them and their success, their confidence increases, and they are willing to take more risks and expand their learning.” Teachers are helping the leaders of tomorrow grow!
“To say I was honored and humbled is an understatement. I work on a campus so full of talent and dedication, and the two other teachers nominated, Lindsey Bell and Hany Rosiana, are incredible educators. To be recognized by a group of colleagues for which I hold such love and respect just means so much. When a crew showed up to celebrate and inform me that I was a District Teacher of the Year nominee, I was both excited and surprised as we had just returned from a field trip so I was hot and sweaty and not prime camera ready! The other District nominees, William Sanchez and Evan Platt, are such dynamic teachers, and the energy they bring is tangible.”
“I embrace not just the honor but the responsibility of these distinctions, and I strive to represent our district and teachers well. Teachers affect educational success in the most direct way and are truly the heart and soul of the classroom.”
As Mrs. Jeofrroy looks forward to many more memories in the classroom such as this one, her advice to fellow teachers is to build relationships with their students and their families. “When students trust that you genuinely care for them and their success, their confidence increases, and they are willing to take more risks and expand their learning.” Teachers are helping the leaders of tomorrow grow!
Mrs. Jeoffroy was recognized as this year’s District Elementary Teacher of the Year.
“To say I was honored and humbled is an understatement. I work on a campus so full of talent and dedication, and the two other teachers nominated, Lindsey Bell and Hany Rosiana, are incredible educators. To be recognized by a group of colleagues for which I hold such love and respect just means so much. When a crew showed up to celebrate and inform me that I was a District Teacher of the Year nominee, I was both excited and surprised as we had just returned from a field trip so I was hot and sweaty and not prime camera ready! The other District nominees, William Sanchez and Evan Platt, are such dynamic teachers, and the energy they bring is tangible.”
“I embrace not just the honor but the responsibility of these distinctions, and I strive to represent our district and teachers well. Teachers affect educational success in the most direct way and are truly the heart and soul of the classroom.”
When she is not in the classroom, Mrs. Jeoffroy enjoys traveling and adventures with her husband, Jamal Moujahid, her parents, Ray and Madge Patterson, and her sister and brother-in-law, Leslie Patterson and Adam Cobb. Because her husband is from Morocco, Jeoffroy has the great opportunity to travel to that destination quite a bit! She loves to learn from people and their cultures, and appreciates the experience of road trips across the US when she isn’t traveling abroad. Along with this, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, listening to music, trying delicious cuisine, or exploring the great outdoors. “This is how I enjoy life and recharge!”
On behalf of the Irving Schools Foundation, we congratulate Shelley Jeoffroy for her significant contributions to the Irving ISD community and look forward to her ongoing success!
