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Jennifer McCrystal, Valrico Elementary School

By BRYAN BURNS
Published December 30, 2005

Ten years ago, after a difficult spell teaching, Valrico Elementary School teacher Jennifer McCrystal decided she needed to do something different.

So she formed "The Friendship Company" to help her students "address the concepts of love and acceptance," she said.

Today, "the Friendship Company" does a number of service projects each month, both locally and internationally.

Through "the Friendship Company," McCrystal's classes have bought bilingual books for the library, sent school supplies to the Dominican Republic and adopted a manatee, among other projects.

"It also brings opportunities for parents to get involved," said McCrystal, who has taught at Valrico Elementary School since it opened in 1998.

McCrystal, 35, also has developed a guest reader program for her classes. Everyone from Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders to members of the University of South Florida basketball team have come in to her classroom to read to the students.

"Most of the time, students have this natural desire to learn," McCrystal said. "It's just a matter of presentation. I'm not much of a traditionalist. I believe learning can be messy and loud."

Valrico's principal, Dr. Mary Knox, says that McCrystal's nontraditional approach is what makes her successful.

"Jennifer has taken it upon herself to provide a model for all of the third-grade teachers," Knox said. "She's always trying to make the school better. It gives me great pride knowing we have wonderful teachers like her at our school."

Even as one of the top 10 educators in Hillsborough County, McCrystal said she continues to try to improve as a teacher. She is in the last semester of her master's degree in educational leadership at USF and plans to graduate in May.

"I believe that a person needs to be a constant learner," she said. "It just seemed like the natural next step."

What fuels this passion?

"The kids are the biggest motivator," McCrystal said. "Getting to see their faces light up when they accomplish a frustrating obstacle is magic."

[Last modified December 29, 2005, 08:39:05]