Jenna Shaw is an Educational Specialist support the 21st Century Buildings capital projects with Baltimore City Public Schools. Before this role, Jenna was an Instructional Technology Specialist under the Baltimore City Public School's Office of Special Education. Jenna has also served as the Director of Technology and Creativity at Liberty Elementary School and spent almost a decade teaching middle school language arts in Baltimore City. She is passionate about changing the educational landscape through innovative teaching practices, local and global connections, and technology integration.
Jenna had no idea she would become a teacher. It was not until college that she decided to explore the field of education. It began when she took a freshman sociology class and had to volunteer at a local organization. She ended up in the state prison helping inmates with literacy skills. This volunteer work prompted her to change her career goals to focus on education.
Two weeks after graduating college from University of Maryland, College Park, Jenna started an alternative certification-teaching program through the Baltimore City Teaching Residency program. Since her first year of teaching, Jenna has gracefully pushed her students and herself by holding high standards and going beyond daily responsibilities to ensure students are successful in whatever it is they love to do, inside and outside of the classroom
Jenna was also lucky enough to serve as a 2012 EdTech Fellow with the Digital Harbor Foundation. Through the foundation she was able to expand her love of technology and innovative teaching and also developed a student-run after school program. Since that fellowship she has lead large-scale technology initiatives in schools in Baltimore City, as well as working at the forefront of innovative change for the educational landscape in Baltimore City Public Schools.
Jenna went on to get a Masters of Arts and Teaching and a Certificate in Administration and Supervision from Johns Hopkins University. She completed a Certificate in Education Leadership in 2017 from Harvard University. From there, Jenna start The Whole Teacher, looking to disrupt the way we support our teachers.
Before teaching, Jenna spent time studying anthropology in South Africa, where she focused on exposing the healing power of the personal narrative. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, dancing, and blogging. In addition to teaching, Jenna spends a lot of time building her version of home, exploring art galleries, bookstores, and wandering to people and places previously unexplored. And, of course, loving on her cat Hemingway.
