08/27/2026
The lessons that don't quite go as planned matter. Ask Jenna Zan about receiving the Department of English’s Joyce Gentry Smoot Award for exceptional teaching, and she’ll tell you it was a “much-needed confidence boost.”
Teaching can be humbling.
It’s easy to remember the lesson that didn’t land or the day that didn’t go quite as planned more vividly than the countless everyday moments when learning clicked. For her, the award was a reminder to give those successes just as much weight. Her students challenge her curriculum, keep her teaching fresh, and continually introduce new perspectives into the classroom.
“They keep me from feeling settled in my worldview. They keep me humble.”
From teaching stuffed animals with a crayon-written textbook as a child to helping Hokies discover their relationships with writing and language today, she has come a long way. We’re very glad the students talk back now.
Congratulations, Ms. Zan and thank you for reminding us that great teachers never stop being learners themselves.
Photo: Jenn Zan and Kelly Pender
➡️ https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/08/clahs-engl-jenna-zan.html
