A Teacher is Back
Jennifer Dougherty returns to the classroom, bringing kindness and experience with her
BAR HARBOR—This fall a kindergarten class at the Conners Emerson School is getting a master: a master teacher, a master in kindness, and a master in volunteering.
Yes, Jennifer Dougherty only has a master’s degree in one of those things—education—but since she and her family moved to Mount Desert Island in March 2017 dozens and dozens of people who have interacted with Dougherty can tell you that the incoming kindergarten teacher is one of those people you just can’t forget.
It’s not because she’s loud. She isn’t. It’s not because she’s flashy. She isn’t that either. What Dougherty does is quietly and passionately and persistently do her best to help her family and community become better; she brings kindness with her in every interaction—from working the Acadian Youth Sports snack shack to heading up the school’s PTSA.
“Helping others fills ‘my bucket’ and something that comes pretty naturally,” Dougherty said.
Principal Dr. Heather Weir Webster said last week when the school committee approved hiring Dougherty for the one-year position that she couldn’t be more excited. Doughtery’s appointment was unanimously approved.
“She’s so wonderful,” someone whispered.
She thinks the school is wonderful, too.
“Well, I am biased,” she said. “I adore CES where I spend a lot of time volunteering, subbing, and now returning to the classroom. The size of our school is not too big, not too small, our staff is incredible and a view of the ocean in some spots from campus is a reminder of the beautiful place we live.”
She’s been a kindergarten teacher before and now she gets to do it in a place that she loves.
“Kindergarten is a special place of firsts. For some, it is your first time away from your caregiver, first time learning to pump swings by yourself, making new friends through play and learning to read and write, to name a few. Kindergarten is an eager place met with hugs and a fresh start each day,” she said.
She always wanted to be a teacher and a mother, she said, and she feels lucky that she’s been able to do both things and to do it in Bar Harbor.
“I'm eager and ready to return to the classroom,” she said. “The timing of the position is a good fit for myself and family.”
She announced the news this weekend on social media and the comments rolled in. The kids were lucky. The school was lucky. Teachers wished their classrooms were closer.
“Phenomenal,” people wrote.
“I am so excited,” so many others said.
Dougherty has a combination of kindness and experience that creates an impact. She received her undergrad and masters from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a masters in early childhood education.
“In 2003, I started my career as a kindergarten teacher fresh out of college. My passion for kindergarten and that age group continued growing with each passing year,” she said. “I spent nine years in kindergarten, with three of those years leading our kindergarten team as a reading specialist.”
In 2011, she married Jeremy; they bought their first home and switched to a new school, returning back to the kindergarten classroom.
“After that, I had the pleasure to take some years off professionally to raise our two children, Dean and Maggie,” she said. “Over the last five years I’ve worked as a substitute at Connors Emerson School. During the pandemic, I was our floating full time sub and over the years have been able to fill in at every classroom.”
The family is really involved in the community.
“That is something that really matters to the both of us,” she said. “We moved to Bar Harbor in March of 2017 for Jeremy’s hospitality career. Our extended family is far away in Arizona and Vermont, so we really dove into making friends and connections. Volunteering for us has been the best way to do that and we’ve made some incredible friendships through our time volunteering and within the community here. What we put into the community is what we’ll all get out of it, so the time spent coaching sports, volunteering with Cub Scouts or Girl Scouts, getting people outside and exercising within the running community or through Acadia Youth Sports, the Little League snack shack or the PTSA…. Each has its own unique way of contributing back to the community and is fulfilling to us. Over the years, I’ve been particularly proud of our PTSA and the events, programs, and fundraising we’ve been able to do to support CES these last few years.”
“We’re lucky to have her,” Webster said last Monday.
She said that, and it’s true. A lot of people here are lucky: not just the school, but the entire community.
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