Tiffany Jokerst

Tiffany Jokerst is a ninth through twelfth grade mathematics and engineering teacher at West Hills High School in the Grossmont Union High School District, San Diego County.

Imagine walking into class and seeing your teacher dressed up in 70’s attire and dancing to “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees. Why? Because it’s disco polynomial day! The energy in the room is high and the learning that happens is even higher.

Relationship building with her students is the foundation of Tiffany’s unique classroom environment where she makes sure that her students feel safe to take risks and learn from one another. Students are greeted with music, a bright and cheery classroom, and an enthusiastic greeting. They engage in conversations with one another while grappling with a math or engineering scenario, sharing their findings and honoring one another’s thoughts and opinions. This is a typical day in Mrs. Jokerst’s class!

When the Coronavirus disease (COVID) forced her into distance learning, Tiffany spent her summer building take-home kits for her engineering students, and held daily Zooms and even a “fun hour” each week where students could connect virtually with one another and build community.

The tireless Mrs. Jokerst also introduced an Aerospace Engineering pathway at her school in order to attract students, especially female, to science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) education. She purposefully created a buzz around engineering, and her students are often seen around campus testing their robots, gliders, and hydrogen fuel celled cars.

Tiffany believes that student learning and growth should be at the forefront of all decisions made in the classroom, school, and beyond. She is focused on closing the opportunity gap, and, as the only female engineering teacher in her district, strives to be a role model for women in engineering. In three years, her program has quadrupled the number of female students enrolled. Math and Engineering are truly in gifted hands at West Hills High School!

Quote: “I choose to belong to a profession where I am confident that I am leading a life that matters.” Or, “Providing a rich experience that ignites a love of STEAM in students of all backgrounds remains my top priority.”