- April 16, 2024
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Janine Grover didn't plan on becoming a teacher, but now it's one of her greatest passions.
“It kind of just happened to me," Grover said. "It wasn’t something I was pursuing.”
Grover was originally pursuing a health degree from the University of Florida, but was steered toward health education, which she taught in Flagler County for seven years. She currently teaches seventh grade math at Hinson Middle. She's on her 29th year of teaching and has been teaching math for 13 years.
She said the first time she realized how much she loved teaching was also the first year where she started teaching math. Grover's first math class was comprised of ESE students, and after seeing that the "by the book" teaching method wasn't truly reaching them, she explored other ways of teaching the material that was successful.
“I loved that I could help them believe in themselves, and that they were capable, and that they were actually doing stuff,” Grover said.
This is her first year teaching seventh grade, and her love for teaching has not wavered. She said her day is made if she can get one student to say that they understand what they didn’t before. Grover also does her best to take as much time as her students need to learn the material, even if sometimes that may be difficult due to the rigorous curriculum she has to follow.
“I always tell the kids: ‘How fast you learn doesn’t have anything to do with how intelligent you are,’" Grover said. "People learn at different rates.”
Her mantra for her students? "Run toward your goals." An avid runner herself, Grover hangs her marathon medals in her classroom so that her students can see the value of persevering.
“I put my medals up to show them I had to train myself to run 13.1 miles, and it’s really hard," Grover said. "But I really want to do it and I really feel good afterward — you feel accomplished.”
