Take a step into this classroom and see the bright colors, posters, and cute decorations. Look around and see the students working hard on fun assignments. This is the welcoming experience of walking into Ms. Jessica Grubb’s classroom.

Grubb came to Davie last year after moving out of the Rowan County district. Not only did she move from Rowan to Davie, but she also switched from middle school to high school. While in Rowan County, Grubb was named Student Teacher of the Year. With the way her flex times are never quiet, her current students seem to agree with that designation. 

On the first day of her class, she makes her expectations clear. 

“I pretty much tell them on the first day that this is a safe space,” Grubb says. “I play music. I joke around with them a lot so they can kind of see me as like a person instead of a teacher.”

She feels that her fun assignments help her students stay engaged and learn. 

“I wouldn’t want to do anything boring. As teachers, there are things we can do to make sure that students are engaged. Making sure that class is fun is a big part of that.”

Layton Reavis, a freshman in Grubb’s class, gave an inside look as to how he feels about her.

“She is a really kind person,” Reavis said. “She is like my favorite teacher.” 

The Importance of Relationships

When students develop a relationship with a teacher, like how Jessica Grubb’s students developed with her, it seems to really improve a student’s time in that class. They enjoy the class more and don’t dread going to it. When Grubb came to Davie, she arrived under circumstances that were less than ideal. Her classes were initially helmed by a long-term sub who took over for an English teacher who departed halfway through the previous school year. For a variety of reasons, students in these classes occasionally reported feeling dread going to these classes, but Grubb’s arrival changed that for many, including former student Xavier Parker.

“I feel like Ms. Grubb is a really amazing person,” he said. “She’s my favorite teacher by far… I actually learned a lot. Ms. Grubb really came in and turned that around.”

Sophomore Haley Manns echoes this sentiment, though she originally was unsure about Grubb when she took over her class. Manns described Grubb as, “A wonderful teacher. She is very energetic and understanding…. I didn’t like her class at first, but that was because I didn’t give her a chance.”

A lot of the students who had her last year still think of her as a great teacher, with sophomore Jamie Brown noting that she is “definitely” her favorite. 

“I think she’s a great teacher,” Brown said. “We learned a lot from her.” 

Grubb’s popularity among students is not a secret. So many of her students, previous and current, gush about how much they love her and how she’s their favorite teacher. It’s no mystery why this is. She makes her whole class and classroom a welcoming and safe space for all. Her kids love and respect her as not just a teacher but as a human being. As Haley Manns points out, Jessica Grubb is “everybody’s safe place.”