Teaching Fellow Alumna: Jordyn Kaplan

Training The Equity Lens On Teaching

Inspired by her mother’s career as a fourth-grade teacher, Jordyn Kaplan saw herself as an educator from a very young age. That vision sharpened over time to a clear picture of herself teaching History in public schools, where she believes she can affect students’ lives in a meaningful and positive way. 

She put that vision to the test in the summer of 2021 by joining Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia as a Teaching Fellow. At the time, Jordyn was a junior at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing a degree in American History with a minor in Urban Education. The chance to work with students from urban public schools aligned with her long-term goal.

As an area of study overlapping education and public policy, urban education focuses on uplifting students from underserved demographics. Bringing that equity lens to a teaching practice allows for a greater “reflection on the impact teachers make in an urban education setting,” said Jordyn.

“Breakthrough had the urban education component, so it was a perfect fit,” she said. The experience strengthened her resolve to become a teacher, and she is currently attending Harvard Graduate School of Education.

During her time at Breakthrough – her first experience leading a classroom – Jordyn discovered that being prepared and curious about the students were crucial to deepening learning. Although Breakthrough provided lesson plans, she devoted extra time to prepare her lessons because preparation was important “to be a confident leader and in turn…confidence impacted the students’ experiences.”

She also realized that getting to know the students’ interests translated into more engaging lessons. She incorporated some of their interests into her literature lesson plans, using basketball themes when teaching paragraph structure, and pictures from different TV shows and movie posters for a figurative language writing lesson.

“Breakthrough was really pivotal in showing me that, as a teacher, you need to take the initiative to build those relationships, and that the pay-off will be immense for you and the student,” said Jordyn. 

She formed some important relationships while at Breakthrough, and remains in regular touch with one of her students, who is now in high school. Other Teaching Fellows are also part of her network of connections and they often trade stories and tips about their budding teaching careers. 

Besides working on lesson-prep and enjoying social time with other Teaching Fellows, that summer Jordyn also applied for the Fulbright program to teach abroad. She spent her first year out of college teaching in a public school outside Madrid, Spain, and she is convinced her experience at Breakthrough helped her Fulbright application.

“Breakthrough not only prepared me for the teaching experience incredibly well, but it also allowed me to speak to [teaching] in my application,” said Jordyn. “I was able to demonstrate that I knew how to lesson plan, that I know how to connect with students, and that I know how to integrate students’ cultural identities into coursework.”

As Spring approaches, Jordyn is readying to apply to teach middle or high school History in the public school system in Boston, Mass. The memory of having her own classroom – as she had at Breakthrough – is a beacon for her future as an educator.

“I wanted to bring my full self to it, I just loved being around the teenagers and I loved the work, and that stayed true to my career until now,” she said. “I want to do it and do it well because the students deserve a teacher that feels that way about their learning.”

Contributed by Mara Lemos-Stein