Sharon Juenemann

Background

About Sharon Juenemann

Our job is to believe in students’ dreams, and their ability for self-determination.”This pretty much sums up my philosophy of teaching and learning, and I didn’t learn it from graduate school, or from a mentor, or from attending conferences or trainings. I learned it from students.Time and again, as a newer and less experienced teacher and administrator, I thought I knew who my students were and what their trajectories could be. Fortunately, my students knew better, and were kind and brave enough to teach me. When we believe in our students’ abilities to learn and grow, we create institutions that learn and grow.As a leader, I support and encourage teachers and staff to ask difficult questions of themselves, their institutions, and of their students. I empower staff to create processes and procedures that make sense, that move teams forward, and that give us opportunities for reflection and self-assessment. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I strive to create highly collaborative work environments centered on trust and respect, so that my teams can have honest conversations about who our students are, and how we can create learning environments are imbued with the belief that our students can succeed.