 |
|
Middle School Teacher Laces Up Her Marathon Shoes
Reno, NV (April 7, 2011) - It began as a metaphor to motivate eighth graders for their writing exam. Now, middle school English teacher Jenny Hoy is less than a month away from running a marathon for the first time in her life.
Hoy will run the 26.2 mile Rock-n-River Marathon on May 1. Her entire journey, from training to the finish line, is chronicled in the Reno Gazette Journal. After winning the contest sponsored by the newspaper for a first-time marathon runner, she began writing a blog for the paper in December.
Hoy said her fitness challenge started at the beginning of the school year. "One of the milestones for students is the eighth grade writing exam. I've always used the metaphor with my students that they should get ready for the exam like they are preparing for a marathon. You can't just show up that day and run."
Hoy says her inspiration came when one of her students at Vaughn asked her what she was willing to do this year to improve. "I told the kids that I really could improve my physical fitness and committed to working out an hour a day. Then one of my students saw the marathon contest in the RGJ, put it on my desk and said 'this is your task'."
As part of her training, Hoy works with a nutritionist and a fitness trainer from Reno Running and Fitness as well as a host of others who have helped her select the correct shoes and establish healthy eating habits for a marathon trainee.
Vaughn Principal Ginny Knowles says Hoy is passionate about her students and believes in the importance of being a role model. "If she expects her students to push themselves to perform, then she must do the same and, hence, the marathon. It may seem to many to be an insurmountable goal for a middle aged teacher who isn't inclined to exercise that much, let alone run a lot of
miles! Students remember Jenny and her passion for teaching and excellence years later. They also come back to Vaughn regularly to thank her for helping to prepare them well for high school and college."
One of her students, eighth grader Kaylee Avera, agrees. "I am really proud of Mrs. Hoy. Seriously, she'll spend a long day in the classroom and then go on a 13-mile run. I know I couldn't do that." Avera continued, "She always uses that metaphor that if you run a marathon, you have to train for it. She tells us we need to put on ankle weights for our writing. It motivates us."
Her students have been checking the blog for grammatical mistakes and they receive extra credit if they find any. Alex Felix, another student of Hoy's, says the challenge shows the kind of teacher she is. "I know some teachers just come to work, get their paycheck and go home. But she goes beyond teaching to lead by example and to show how working hard can get you there."
Hoy just completed her first 18-mile run on April 3rd that included a plunge into a creek next to Steamboat Ditch Trail in the Caughlin Ranch area. She writes in her blog:
On Saturday, I ran eighteen miles: eleven miles in dry pants and shoes, and the last seven miles soaking wet pants and shoes. But, I enjoyed every minute and laughed out loud.--Jenny
P.S. To my students: Sometimes you have to just jump right in, even if the water is cold, to immerse yourself in achieving your goals. Trust me, it's worth it.
You can read Jenny Hoy's blog on RGJ.com/marathon.
###
About Washoe County School District: The
Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan
area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The
District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education
in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every
child career and college ready.
For more information visit: www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89520
