We love their kids too and want to walk alongside parents to help their kids in any way we can.”

Jenny Denzine

For Jenny Denzine, the path to becoming a special education teacher has taken some twists and turns but it eventually led her to what she loves, helping those around her.
Jenny first earned an associate’s degree from the Chippewa Technical College as an Administrative Assistant, but she quickly realized that she didn’t enjoy sitting behind a desk all day. She then turned to teaching piano and began to teach music at a local Christian School. From there she became a special education paraprofessional at Stanley-Boyd School and that’s when her educational career began to flourish.
“I learned then that I really loved teaching, especially working with special education students,” she shared. “Fast forward 20 years and I went back to school at UW Stout and earned a bachelor’s degree in CTET (Career, Technical Education and Training), followed by earning my National Board Certification in Cross-Categorical Special Education. My goal with those two degrees was to help less advanced teens to develop life, job, and career goals and to help them navigate that pathway.”
Jenny may have tried many jobs, but she always came back to the one job that stood out to her. “I wanted to try all sorts of jobs and did, (secretary, marketing, desktop publishing) although I always came back to the love of teaching!” When asked what she enjoys the most about teaching, Jenny says it’s the people around her. “What I enjoy most about teaching is being part of a collaborative staff and building relationships with staff and students,” she answers. Jenny enjoys working at Stanley-Boyd School and remarks, “This is where I live and raised my family. I also love the Stanley-Boyd staff and how awesome they are to work with.”
As a special education teacher, Jenny has faced many difficult challenges. “My hardest challenge as a teacher was learning how to navigate behaviors. I work with more challenging students and have had to learn how to proactively help them solve problems so they can be the best version of themselves they can be.” She remarks that this is an ongoing learning experience that is usually found through trial and error since what works for one student doesn’t always work for another. She adds, “Not all evidence based behavioral practices work well with all students. By building positive relationships with students and working one on one together, I learned to creatively help students navigate their emotions to help them become more successful.”
From her own experience, Jenny knows how important it is for students to have someone in their life that believes in them and guides them. As a young student in high school, Jenny lacked confidence in herself, but it was her high school choir teacher that changed that. “My high school choir teacher made an impact on me by believing in me and challenging me. I had no self-confidence, but she had confidence in me, and that in return helped boost MY confidence so I could achieve way more than before.” She hopes to make a positive impact on her own students and to be someone they can rely on. “My students have taught me that even though we all come from different walks of life, they all still want that consistent adult in their life who believes in them,” Jenny says.
Jenny feels that to help students find success, having a collaborative approach with parents is key. “We love their kids too and want to walk alongside parents to help their kids in any way we can,” she states. “I wish people really knew that we truly care about our students and want to walk alongside parents and help them.” Jenny truly cares for her students and their futures. “I have a big heart and treat my students as if they are my own kids.
Jenny has lived in Stanley for the past 26 years with her husband, Rick and three children, Abigail, Sam, and Gabe. Together they own Denzine Surveying, a family-owned land surveying company that has served the Stanley community since 2008. “We want to stay a hometown business with hometown pride that is supportive to our community,” she says.
When she isn’t pouring her heart into the lives of the students around her, Jenny enjoys being active outdoors and would love to travel anywhere that includes hiking, sightseeing, beaches, and great food. She mentions, “I haven’t traveled too far, but the best place I have traveled to date is Sedona, AZ. The landscape and hiking are incredible.” She also loves to laugh, and her favorite types of movies are 80s and 90s comedies featuring, Adam Sandler, Steve Martin, Chris Farley, and John Candy.
The students of Stanley-Boyd School and their families have been fortunate to have Jenny Denzine as an educator at Stanley-Boyd. She is a teacher with a heart of gold who looks for the best in her students and supports them in their academic journeys to be contributing members in their communities.