Ms. Frudden misses "whale ponytails"
by Cathy Hoang
December 18, 2006
Teacher's name: Jeni Frudden
Subjects taught: 6th grade Language Arts
Room #: 27
How long have you been a teacher? Long enough not to have a social life :)
How long have you been a teacher at Edna Brewer? Since the first day of the 2006-2007 school year.
What made you want to teach at Edna Brewer, instead of another school? Edna Brewer is one of the best, if not THE best school in Oakland. I love the big windows, bright red lockers, and amazing staff.
Where did you go to college? I majored in English at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. GO BLUE.
What is your favorite thing about teaching Language Arts? I like language arts, because I love to read and write. I especially like teaching this subject, because it is so important for students' success. Reading and writing are used in ALL subjects and once a student can achieve in these two areas they'll be able to find success in all their classes. It's really easy to get to know my students in language arts, because they share personal connections with the texts we are reading. It's also a lot of fun to read my students' work and get to know them through their creative and personal writings.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I don't get very much 'spare time', but when I do get a moment to myself I like to run around the lake, visit Tilden Regional Park, or go out to a long dinner.
What was your first job? My first job was at Greenwood Manor, an retirement center in Iowa. Mostly, I just answered phones and filed residents' medical papers. It was an easy job, but it was always interesting talking to the residents.
On a scale from 1-10 how mean are you to your students? 1: I don't think I'm ever mean to my students. I always try to be respectful of all my students, but that doesn't mean that I'm not strict.
Why do you want to be a teacher? I think working in education is the best way to impact the future.
Has a student made you so mad you want to quit your job? No. I don't let my students make me mad, they get "buddy roomed" before that happens.
Do you like having Ms. Marantz as your boss? YES, because all the students are scared of her and if I ever needed someone to get my back I would want Ms. Marantz on my side.
Do you have a teacher's pet? No, but there is a kid that flies around my room in the morning like he is a bat.
Did you have a high school love? Yes, his name was Chris and my mom liked him a lot....too much. When I broke up with him my mom was really mad at me.
Do you have kids? Not my own.
What do you think your students think of you? I think that depends on who you ask, but for the most part my students probably think I use too many adjectives and drink too much coffee.
Who is your favorite/least favorite person in the world? My FAVORITE person in the world is my little sister, Julia. When we were little I would dress her up for school and do her hair. There was this one pony tail that I would always give her called 'the whale' and I would put a ponytail on the very top of her head so that her hair sprawled out like water coming out of a whale's spout. She doesn't let me do her hair anymore, but I still like her.
