The pinnacle of teaching profession

Jenny Lovering always wanted to be a teacher. When she was young, she'd be one of the girls with the glasses holding the ruler. It was just meant to be.

Earlier this month, Lovering, a psychology, social studies and English teacher at Columbia Falls High School, reached the pinnacle of her 17-year teaching career by achieving National Board Certification.

The certification is a rigorous academic process that took Lovering more than a year to finish. She had to complete four portfolios, videotape evidence of her quality instruction and was subjected to intense scrutiny by her peers. A little more than 100 national board-certified teachers are in Montana.

Lovering, pardon the pun, loves to teach.

"I really enjoy the students," she said last week. "My goal is to make the one kid that never smiles smile."

She also encourages students to leave the valley when they graduate from high school, attend college and, when they're ready, return and give back to the community.

Lovering graduated with a bachelor's in history from the University of Michigan and has a master's in educational leadership from the University of Montana.

She grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich. Her husband, Eric, works for the Flathead National Forest. They have two sons, Sam, 9 and Zachary, 7.

Lovering came to Montana when Eric was courting her years ago. The two knew each other in high school growing up in Michigan, but Eric moved to Montana to work for the Forest Service.

When he came home for a wedding, the two met again. A few months later, Lovering found herself moving to Montana. She arrived on a Sunday night and went to work in Whitefish the next morning.

Lovering has spent most of her career, however, teaching in Columbia Falls. She has also been the senior class advisor for the past 12 years. This is her last year in that role.