“I think people get into teaching because of their own experiences,” declares Jan Jacobi, 7th and 8th grade teacher at The St. Michael School in St. Louis.
Mr. Jacobi continues, “My teachers were just the most wonderful mentors. With middle-school kids, I can be open and honest and relaxed and goofy. But my curriculum is very challenging.”
This St. Louis Magazine Excellence in Education Winner teaches a humanities course that combines American History with literature.
My favorite detail about Mr. Jacobi is that he just turned 70. Yup, seventy. “I can’t stop teaching, and I never will. I love being with those kids each day. Teaching is what I love.”
Mr. Jacobi’s 5 Tips for Parents:
1. Trust the teacher.
2. Know that the teacher loves your child.
3. Be in close communication with teachers.
4. Share family issues with teachers.
5. Don’t white-knuckle it. Enjoy being with your child during his or her schooling; it goes by so quickly.

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