Meet Sarah Jacobs—a Golden Apple Teacher of the Year finalist

Sarah Jacobs [Marion County Public Schools]

West Port High School’s Sarah Jacobs is one of six finalists for this year’s Golden Apple Teacher of the Year award.  

Jacobs, who teaches ninth and 10th grade English, has been teaching at Marion County Public Schools since 2020. She has 12 years of teaching experience.   

Not only does Jacobs’ curriculum center on reading and literature, but so does her free time; She is an avid reader and seeks to inspire the same passion within her students.  

“For me to get them to find some interest in reading means the world, because this is the thing that unlocks so many doors,” she said. “Whatever they choose to do after high school, they will need reading in some capacity in order to get through.” 

Jacobs finds ways for her students to enjoy all types of books they read together for their curriculum, even in the challenging genre of classic literature.  

“We just did Macbeth, by Shakespeare. For some of them, that is a struggle, because understanding it is hard and that’s not something they can necessarily relate to,” she said.  

“We try to tie in media and collaboration within them, so they’re not just sitting and reading for the whole class period and bored.” 

Many of the people in Jacobs’ support system are also teachers, including her mother, sister, sister-in-law and best friend. 

“I feel like the job of being a teacher is unique in so many ways, but to have people around you who are in it as well helps so much in terms of encouragement and keeping your inspiration and motivation alive,” Jacobs said.  

For Jacobs, her passion for teaching is personal and stems from her own maternal instincts.  

“I’ve always wanted to be a mom, and I found out within the last few years that that’s going to be a difficult journey for me and my husband,” she said. “Teaching has always been my calling, so I find my fulfillment in this job, and it brings me so much joy that even on the hard days I lean into my students and the positivity and helping them meet their goals and taking on new challenges.” 

Jacobs said she loves to see her students develop a passion for reading, and that many continue to visit her once they are no longer in her class to ask if the freshmen and sophomores are reading the same books they enjoyed while taking Jacobs’ class.  

“My students really are the reason I do what I do. Without them, I wouldn’t be here, 100%,” she said. “As long as they know how much I love them. All of this would be impossible without them.”