Jackie Brant

When Jackie Brant first heard that Newton High School was looking for a full-time substitute, she thought, “This will be easy!” No lesson planning, no long-term grading—just bouncing from one class to the next like a “traveling nurse,” as she calls it, covering various subjects. But when she was asked during her interview if she’d be comfortable teaching 9th-grade English full-time, her immediate thought was, “No.”

Yet, despite her hesitation, Jackie’s leap into teaching 9th graders has turned out to be one of the most surprising and fulfilling experiences of her teaching career. Originally a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher in Petersburg, Illinois, she and her family had recently moved to Newton to be closer to family and to raise their children in a community that shared their values. Without an opening in her former educational specialty, she took on the challenge of stepping into the world of English instruction.

“English was not even close to my favorite subject in school,” Jackie recalls with a laugh. “But I’m finding myself really enjoying it. It’s the challenge of something new every day that I like.”

Her journey has been anything but ordinary. With a background in teaching hands-on, project-based courses like cooking and resource management, Jackie never imagined herself dissecting sentence structures or explaining literary devices. But her commitment to growth—both hers and her students’—shines through as she talks about adjusting to her new role.

For many teachers, English is about more than teaching students how to read and write—it’s about unlocking the creativity within. And for Jackie, one of the joys of the job has been witnessing this creativity emerge in unexpected ways.

She recounts a recent assignment where students were tasked with writing an alternate ending to Ray Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder, a classic sci-fi story about time travel and the butterfly effect. The diversity in her students’ responses blew her away. “I had everything from happy endings to apocalyptic disaster,” Jackie says, smiling. “One student even turned it into a video game story! And even for those students who aren’t the strongest writers, the creativity was just through the roof.”

Her enthusiasm for her students is palpable. Jackie’s approach is to make sure her students feel confident, not just in English but in any subject that requires reading and comprehension. As she tells her students, “Reading isn’t just about books—it’s about having the confidence to understand what you’re reading, no matter the subject.”

As new as she is to teaching English, Jackie has quickly found her rhythm. In addition to helping students improve their grammar and writing, she’s also trying to ignite a passion for reading that she herself didn’t discover until adulthood.

“On Fridays, we have a time where students can bring in anything they want to read—whether it’s a comic book, a newspaper, a novel—and just enjoy reading for 15 to 20 minutes,” she explains. “I didn’t love reading in high school, and I think a lot of kids feel that way. But if I can get them to just not hate reading, I’ll consider that a win.”

Jackie’s practical approach to teaching is shaped by her experiences in Family and Consumer Sciences, where hands-on learning was the focus. She’s working to bring that same creativity into her English classroom by offering projects that make the subject feel less like a chore and more like an adventure.

Despite her growing love for teaching English, Jackie is quick to acknowledge the balancing act of her professional and personal life. A mother of five, with children ranging from 7 to 20 years old, she juggles her job, her family’s recent move, and the chaos of living in a camper while they wait to close on their new house in Newton.

“My twins, Joseline and Jillian, are in 4th grade. Then there’s Johnnie, who’s a junior in high school, and JD, my 2nd grader,” she says. “And my oldest is 20, over in Charleston, living his best life.”

With a laugh, she adds, “Life is definitely an adventure these days.”

Though she misses her old role in Family and Consumer Sciences, Jackie’s perspective on teaching has shifted in unexpected ways. As the sponsor of Newton High School’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), she has already built a strong connection with the students and community. In fact, the turnout for FCA meetings at Newton far surpasses what she saw in her previous district—a testament to the strong sense of community in Jasper County.

With the school year just beginning, Jackie knows there will be plenty more challenges ahead. But with her creativity, resilience, and enthusiasm, it’s clear that she’s making a lasting impact on her students—and that Newton High School is lucky to have her.