Boggess Elementary School 2026

Jessica Grubb

Boggess Elementary School - 3rd Grade Teacher
E-mail congrats

Teaching Philosophy

From a young age, I knew I wanted a career that focused on helping people and living a life of service. Teaching felt like a natural fit. Through teaching, I wanted to live out the lines of my favorite poem by Emily Dickinson: If I can stop one heart from breaking. Helping others isn't just part of my job; it guides everything I do. In her poem, Dickinson says that if she can help others, she shall not live in vain. I take this to heart by starting each day by asking myself one question: How can I help? That question shapes how I support students, families, colleagues, and my community.

I think about how I can help students reach their full potential, feel confident, and understand their value. For example, I wrote a grant for weighted lap desks to support our most vulnerable students with sensory needs, and the following year, I wrote a grant for math materials for families to use at home so they could stay engaged with learning in a meaningful way. I started a poetry café to provide enrichment for students who couldn't participate in after-school programs due to cost, giving every student an opportunity to explore creativity and build confidence.

I also focus on supporting colleagues, whether it's with classroom management, instructional strategies, or technology. This led me to start a campus book club using Teach Like a Champion and to become a Model Classroom teacher with our new BenQ Boards. It also inspired me to work with our PACE teacher to write a grant for Depth and Complexity sentence stem cards to aid Boggess teachers in developing and sustaining high-quality, differentiated instruction.

I look for ways to help our campus and PTA, sponsoring fundraising efforts for our activity fund, running the SAGE committee, and bringing back the Care Workshop to teach empathy and understanding to Boggess students. At the district level, I'm working on contributing to the new math adoption and serving on the RBIS committee. As a new team leader, I prioritize supporting new teachers with guidance, feedback, and encouragement as they grow in their practice.

I think about how to help connect students to their community, too. Noticing that many struggled to think of ways to help around town beyond "picking up trash" during our unit on communities, I joined the City of Murphy's Animal Shelter Advisory Committee. Working with city council members, I brought real-world civic leadership into the classroom and showed students that leadership isn't about age, it's about a willingness to serve. Sponsoring a pet supplies drive and delivering donations to our local shelter gave students hands-on experience in advocacy and making a meaningful impact.

This same mindset guided my actions last summer when I helped communities affected by the Central Texas floods. I created social media flyers and partnered with a local restaurant as a collection site for high-priority supplies. In just a day and a half, we collected a full trailer and three carloads of donations, which were delivered to those in need. Later this year, when we reach our third-grade citizenship unit, I plan to share this experience with students to show that good citizenship is simple: notice a need, take action, and make a difference. Teaching mirrors this philosophy for me: I notice what my students need, I do what it takes to help, and I take pride in my students' success.

Just as I focus on helping others, I prioritize my own growth as an educator. Supporting others begins with continuous learning and reflection. I believe all educators have room to grow and we learn best by pushing ourselves to excellence. Becoming a National Board Certified Teacher was a goal I set for myself to hold my practice to the highest standards while continuing to grow and better serve students, colleagues, and my community. My teaching style is grounded in this philosophy of growth. I create a respectful, inclusive classroom where diverse backgrounds and learning styles are valued. Clear expectations and a culture of mutual respect help students feel safe and confident to take academic risks. I approach teaching with humor (yes, I have a colonial wig that I pull out when we talk about The Revolutionary War), energy (if you aren't having fun while teaching, your students aren't having fun while learning), and creativity, designing engaging lessons that keep students motivated.

By building strong relationships and a positive classroom culture, I help students develop confidence, strong character, and a love of learning. This is what leads students to come back to visit me years later, and this is why I have hundreds of pieces of my heart floating around the world, making a difference and committing to serving others, just as I have always been committed to serving my students' needs. My students, my colleagues, my community, my school, my district – they all give me pride because I know I am making a difference each and every day. I'm living a life committed to helping others through my teaching and my actions and, in turn, I shall not live in vain.

---

Principal's Recommendation

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to enthusiastically recommend Mrs. Jessica Grubb for Teacher of the Year recognition. As the Principal of Boggess Elementary, I have had the privilege of working closely with Mrs. Grubb and have consistently been impressed by her leadership, instructional expertise, and unwavering commitment to students. She is the kind of educator every campus hopes to have, one who leads by example and is always willing to step in wherever support is needed.

Mrs. Grubb recently completed her National Board Certification, an accomplishment that speaks to her deep content knowledge, reflective practice, and dedication to professional growth. She serves as her team lead, is the leader of our UIL competition program, and facilitates our STEM PLC. In addition, she piloted and currently facilitates our student Poetry Club, providing students with a creative outlet that strengthens both literacy and confidence. Mrs. Grubb also serves as our model teacher for the BenQ board rollout, supporting colleagues as they integrate new instructional technology into their classrooms.

Beyond her campus leadership, Mrs. Grubb contributes at the district level as a member of the Math Instructional Resources Adoption Committee. She consistently looks for meaningful ways to connect learning to the real world, including inviting a local city council member to speak with students in support of our government TEKS. She is also a grant winner whose efforts directly enhance instructional opportunities for students. Her classroom data reflects high levels of student growth and achievement, further reinforcing the impact of her instructional practices.

Mrs. Grubb is equally committed to developing future educators. She has hosted a student teacher and actively supports PESH students who aspire to enter the teaching profession, offering mentorship, guidance, and encouragement. Her willingness to share her expertise and invest in others exemplifies true teacher leadership.

Outside of school, Mrs. Grubb's commitment to service extends into the community. She coaches for a nonprofit drill team, serves on the animal shelter advisory committee for Murphy City Council, and organized a supply drive in Murphy to support Texas flood victims in July. These efforts reflect her strong sense of civic responsibility and her belief in modeling service and leadership for students.

Mrs. Grubb possesses the knowledge, skills, and character that define an exceptional educator. Her professionalism, work ethic, and dedication to students make her highly deserving of Teacher of the Year recognition. I am confident she represents the very best of our profession. Please feel free to contact me should you need any additional information.

Sincerely,

Bryan Crowson
Principal
Boggess Elementary School