East Side Elementary School recently elected Zanetta Kitchens as their 2019 Teacher of the Year. Zaneta Jackson-Kitchens is a native Arkansan from Little Rock. She is a first grade teacher at East Side Elementary with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Philander Smith College in Little Rock. Zaneta has been working in the field of education for twelve years including five of those years for the Magnolia School District. She is married with two boys, one in college and a third grader at East Side. She enjoys acting in musical theater, singing, reading great books, cooking, board games, binge-watching great shows on Netflix and hanging out with family and friends. She has an infectious laugh that can be heard down the hall and believes that laughter is a balm for the soul. Zaneta states, “As a teacher, it is so important to make a positive connection with your students. Once students feel safe, they will try their very best, work hard, make mistakes and know it’s ok. I teach to inspire. But I also teach to learn.”
