Lakewood Ranch English teacher ends four decades in education

Grace Talerico – LRHS News

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – LRHS English teacher Valerie Jenkins’ teaching career is coming to an end.

LRHS English teacher Valerie Jenkins is retiring at the end of this school year.

Jenkins began teaching 46 years ago, and has been a teacher for roughly 35 years. She taught for one year at Bradenton’s Southeast High School right out of college and then took a break for ten years to have children. She taught as a substitute teacher and worked at a mental health facility. She then moved back to Kentucky and taught there. In 2001

Mrs. Jenkins moved back to Bradenton and taught at Southeast for nine weeks before being transferred to LRHS and has been here ever since.

“I would definitely do it all over again,” said Jenkins, “only if I were younger, of course!”

Jenkins has taught many subjects in her career including English, Speech, Drama, TV production, and she’s even directed school plays.

She said that one thing she will miss the most are the kids because they keep the mind active, and she will definitely not miss FOCUS [the district's online grading program] and the faculty meetings.

“Teaching is one of the professions that if you love it, you enjoy it,” said Jenkins, “and if it’s simply a job to you, then it can be a misery. Fortunately, I love it and always have.”

She said that people outside of the teaching field don’t understand how tiring being a teacher really is.

“I’m thrilled to be leaving,” said Jenkins, “not because of the students or anything, but because I am both mentally and physically exhausted.”