Faculty Profile: Jacqueline “Jackie” Beutell
Jacqueline “Jackie” Beutell, Sixth-Grade Humanities Teacher & Advisor.
Jackie grew up in Minnesota, in the Twin Cities (it’s a long story), in a family that embraced arts, theatre, music, literature, history, travel. It was here she learned to appreciate lifelong learning and exploration. She holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and an M.Ed. in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her research in graduate school focused on children’s rights in the digital age and issues in globalized education and critical pedagogy.
Jackie has recently reached her ten-year, or tin/aluminum anniversary, which represents resilience and inability to rust. “I’m here to stay,” she says. She comes to Burke’s after teaching abroad and spending time teaching in Berkeley at the Shu Ren International School. She chose Burke’s both because she loves teaching Sixth-Grade Humanities, and because of the school’s mission. “To not only educate but to encourage and empower this diverse group of girls aligned with my deeper core values as a teacher.”
As a college student, she spent time living abroad, in Seoul and Rome, where she worked as an English Assistant teacher at a high school. It was there that she realized that “teaching is so much more than direct instruction, and developing their tangible skills. It’s about connection.. I love connecting history to the modern day. I ask students to not only look back, but to look forward, and to look at where we are.”
Jackie likes teaching Humanities because there’s a broad spectrum of topics covered, and it can resonate with all different types of learners, and pique their individual curiosities. Her favorite Humanities unit is about ancient civilizations, and the technological innovations they have contributed to modern society. She covers contributions from Aztec culture and Mesopotamian civilizations and enjoys that their contributions always surprise the students.
In her free time, Jackie enjoys cooking and keeping in touch with friends and family near and far. She also likes hiking with friends and her dog, Lua, a poodle mix. One of her favorite hiking locations is Mt. Diablo.
Burke's mission is to educate, encourage and empower girls. Our school combines academic excellence with an appreciation for childhood so that students thrive as learners, develop a strong sense of self, contribute to community, and fulfill their potential, now and throughout life.
Burke's admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.