Jennifer Scoggin

Prior to joining LitLife, Jennifer taught both first and second grades in public schools in Harlem for eight years. During her time in the classroom, Jennifer co-authored several original units of study in both reading and writing. As the chair of her school's social studies committee, Jennifer worked with teachers in grades K through 6 to incorporate more purposeful reading and writing instruction into social studies content. Since leaving the classroom, Jennifer has worked as a freelance consultant, conducting workshops in word study, reader's workshop, writer's workshop and the effective use of data to inform and tailor classroom instruction.

Jennifer has a master's degree from Teachers College, Columbia University in sociology and education with a focus on public policy, and she is currently finishing her doctoral work at Teachers College as part of the department of Curriculum and Instruction. Jennifer is specifically interested in how teachers' identities are performed in the classroom, evolve over time and are impacted by the various cultures of schools.

Jennifer is a regular featured contributor at TeachHub, an online resource for teachers. In the fall of 2009, Jennifer's satirical novel, It's Not All Flowers and Sausages: My Adventures in Second Grade was published. This book, written from the perspective of Mrs. Mimi, a character created by Jennifer, captures much of the drama of classroom teaching with a sense of humor. The book is outgrowth of her ongoing blog of the same title.