Dr. Melissa Jackson, Regional Ed Development Specialist
We’re excited to spotlight Dr. Melissa Jackson, who recently joined our team as a Regional Education Development Specialist. We recently had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her background in education and experiences with Audio Enhancement.
You used to be a teacher—Where and when did you teach? What subject and what grade(s)?
I taught Middle School Language Arts in Newton County, GA for 16 years. I was blessed to teach in a variety of settings including EBD, Title One, and Gifted. I have 4 years of district leadership experience and have served as the District Instructional Technology Director and the District Gifted Director.
What made you want to become a teacher?
I didn’t really choose to become a teacher—it chose me. I have always loved to learn, but I didn’t like being at school. As a middle school student, I didn’t understand why school was so boring. I had a couple of teachers that made learning more engaging than others, but I had one teacher that truly changed the game for me. Mrs. Boyum was my 9th-grade Algebra teacher. She made each of us feel like we truly mattered, and she made learning fun. This made me want to do the same for others. I wanted other people to love to learn the way I did and see that learning didn’t have to be boring.
What was your favorite part about teaching?
My favorite part of teaching was middle school kids! I am a sassy person, and I love working with sassy middle school students—you never know what you are going to get from them. Seeing students begin to love learning and want to come to school because they know they are cared for is the best feeling in the world. I have many that I taught as middle school students that I was blessed to mentor as first year teachers as they began their careers. This was a true blessing. I truly cherish the relationships I built with my students over the years and credit them for building me into the person I am today.
What was your least favorite part about teaching?
My least favorite part of teaching was definitely knowing that I couldn’t fix all of my student’s problems. I am a very empathetic person and when students came into the classroom with the weight of the world on their shoulders, it was hard to feel like I couldn’t “fix” all their problems for them. I took all of their problems home with me each and every day.
When did you stop teaching, and what brought you to Audio Enhancement?
I left the classroom in 2013 to work at the district level and returned in 2018 for a short time. I left again in 2019 to join the Audio Enhancement family. As a district-level administrator, I was able to work with Audio Enhancement as a customer. I saw how much of an impact Audio Enhancement solutions made in the classroom. I was honored when I was asked to join the AE family and work with teachers nationwide to share the work we do and continue making a difference.
Why do you think Audio Enhancement makes a difference for teachers?
Wow… this is a big question for me. I genuinely have a passion for serving teachers and students. This is why I joined the AE family. Audio Enhancement was developed initially because a mother wanted to provide a better education for her children. This is the ultimate goal at the heart of every educator.
Audio Enhancement makes a difference because we listen to the needs of teachers to develop products FOR teachers. Education has become much too often about pushing products on educators that they don’t want or need and don’t work in a real classroom. The audio, video, and safety products really are designed for real teachers in real classrooms. As a person who has always loved learning, it makes me feel good that I can help teachers use things in their classrooms that help them continue learning and become better teachers. I know this means we will have more students that will love learning.
We are grateful to have Dr. Jackson as part of our team and appreciate all the knowledge and experience she brings. Her insights are priceless in helping us understand what educators really want and need and how we can help them the most.
