Chris Garner '96, '05M and Jenelle Garner '28

Chris Garner ’96, ’05M has been teaching social studies at Hoggard High School for the past 24 years. He holds a degree in political science, secondary teacher certification and an M.Ed. from UNCW. As a partnership teacher, he has stayed in close touch with Professor Robert Smith and other WCE faculty, and mentored numerous Watson College students over the course of his career.

Jenelle (Jenny) Garner – Chris’s daughter –  graduated from Hoggard, where she received New Hanover County Schools' Student Scholarship for Future Teachers in Spring 2024. She is currently a UNCW freshman, pursuing a degree in elementary education.

 “There are many things I enjoy about teaching,” Chris said. “I love getting to know my students and building relationships with them. I’ve done this long enough that the students I first taught are in their forties. I still keep up with some of them, and it's rewarding to see them be real adults with jobs and children of their own. Knowing that I might have had even the slightest role in that process feels good.”

“Being a partnership teacher is a mutually beneficial relationship,” he continued. “While I enjoy and appreciate sharing what I’ve learned with a new teacher, I know that the process made me a better teacher. It’s very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day nuances of teaching. There are papers to grade, copies to be made, meetings to attend, etc. Being a partnership teacher encouraged me to stop and reflect on my teaching. It helped me step outside the practices and routines that became intuitive over time and reexamine them to improve student learning.”

Jenny said she chose to become a teacher because she wants to be as impactful as an educator and mentor as many of her teachers – including her dad – have been to her.

“I think the quality of a teacher and the atmosphere they create in the classroom can make or break a student's education,” she said. “My dad's ability to connect with students inspired me. When I was younger and did not understand a concept in class, I would take it home, and he would explain it in a way that helped me comprehend it and apply it to my other homework. As I got older, I was fortunate to be in a couple of his classes. I was able to see him work with all different types of students, and the experiences taught me the importance of getting to know my students individually.”

Jenny said she chose UNCW’s Watson College of Education because it is a great program and it offers a variety of resources to help her become the best teacher she can be.

“All of the teachers in the education program have been very helpful and relate the course content to real life classroom events that will happen,” she said, “Once a week, in my lab for EDN 200, I visit Forest Hills Elementary Schools and work in a second-grade class. This experience allows me to work with my desired age group and learn from the teachers and students. One of my favorite resources is the Ed Lab in the Education building because of the classroom environment and all of the supplies they have to make lesson plans.”

“Working with students and educating them is a deeply fulfilling experience,” Jenny said. “I am very excited to pursue my interest in being a teacher and cannot wait to be a positive influence on my students’ lives and education.”

Chris said he’s thrilled that Jenny is in Watson’s education program and pursuing a career as a teacher. Asked what he would say to other students considering a teaching career, he said, “I’d tell them the same thing I say to myself when I get up in the morning. It’s what I tell my children, students, and athletes: Do your best and have fun. I’ve found that if I stay focused on those goals, everything else takes care of itself.”