Jenika Boersma
Elementary Education, Class of 2010
My success is communicating effectively with others.
One student at a time, elementary education major Jenika Boersma is making a difference.
Jenika and her classmates board a bus each week to make the 20-mile trip to from campus to Arlington High School in St. Paul. She works as a Falcon Tutor with students on their math homework after school.
Jenika helps students understand a variety of concepts from algebraic equations to matrices. "My challenge is to keep the students from becoming discouraged," she explains. “I help them with a few problems and then see if they can use those methods of problem solving to answer similar questions. Watching the students apply different methods to solve their math problems is very rewarding for me."
Jenika credits her teaching skills and classroom confidence to her professors, including Dr. Geoff Scheurman, a professor of teacher education. "He taught me that the little things in life make a huge difference," she says.
"Through Dr. Scheurman, I learned that that if you are willing to spend a little extra time on something, whether it’s an activity or a lesson plan, and then add your own creative touch, the benefits are astounding. He also taught me how important it is to look beyond the grade and focus on the student as an individual.”
Jenika, who plans to teach math at the middle school level, chose River Falls because the professors share her enthusiasm for education.
"I love sharing information with students that they can use in their everyday lives,” she says. “Students are so full of life, energy and curiosity. I try to create an enthusiastic learning environment that embraces all of these qualities."
