In each phase of my journey as an educator, NCTE and the ReadWriteThink website have been sources of guidance and inspiration, and I am grateful to be a contributor.
After graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in elementary education, Jena chose to spend sixteen years educating her three children at home following a student-centered, interest-led and project-based approach. When her students graduated, she completed a masters degree with Reading Teacher certification at Eastern Illinois University and taught one year as a Title 1 reading teacher, serving kindergarten through eighth grade students. Today she is a writer and researcher with interests in gender and sexual diversity and the role of social and emotional growth in middle level learners.