Tucson Values Teachers presented the April Teacher Excellence Award to Jennifer Davis, the theater teacher at Marana High School in Marana Unified School District. Ms. Davis has taught for eight years; she also serves as the sponsor for the Thespian Club and the SkillsUSA theater club on campus.
TVT received eight nominations for Ms. Davis, many from her current students. Hannah Rogers wrote, “Mrs. Davis is the best theater teacher I’ve had. To me and many more who are in her class, we see her almost like a second parent that we can go to about stuff going on in our lives. She teaches theater in a way that her students enjoy what they do, even if it’s work. She encourages me to be better than I already am and to take risks. She really gets us students and makes sure we are all being responsible and on task. Mrs. Davis is the teacher all students can’t wait to see, morning or noon!”
In Casey Probst’s nominating statement, she wrote, “Ms. Davis came into the theater program during COVID and changed the program for the better. She’s made high school theater an amazing, welcoming place to be.”
After receiving the Teacher Excellence Award, Ms. Davis said, “To get that recognition, that as a teacher my efforts are seen and valued, just mean more than words can say.”
