Jan Mathews

Jan is in her twenty-first year of teaching in rural Northern California. She has taught second grade, but has found her place in middle school Science. When asked what keeps her teaching, she says, “In middle school, the students still look up to me—literally—and they think I’m funny. Middle schoolers have an openness to new ideas and the experience to ask big questions.” Jan works closely with Chico State University’s School of Education as a supervisor and has mentored a dozen credential candidates she is proud to now call colleagues. She is active in several grant-funded group focused on integrating SEL and PBL strategies into science classrooms. Jan received the Celia B. Godsil Grant on 2020. She lives in Chico, California with her partner within driving distance of her two adult children and a new grand-baby.