T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ Jade McCoy reviews an assignment with Claire Meyer. This is McCoy’s first year teaching fifth grade reading and math at Marshalltown Christian School. A native of the Philippines, she has training in the Montessori method and stresses the importance of independent learning to her pupils.

Jade McCoy isn’t only a new instructor at Marshalltown Christian School — it’s also her first year teaching in the United States. A native of the Philippines, she spent time there working in a Montessori School and also led Bible study groups. At MCS, she teaches fifth grade reading and math class.

“She dove right into our MCS culture and is learning about how we teach versus how she taught for 12 years in her home country. It is really exciting for all of us to learn from her, too,” MCS Principal Bethany Wirin said.

A small classroom, consisting of six pupils, allows for a more intimate learning atmosphere. McCoy splits her time with the students teaching reading studies first thing in the morning, followed by math.

“I read aloud first before the actual lesson, because their brains are not yet awake at that time of the day, so I start with that so they’re stimulated,” McCoy said.

While not a Montessori teacher at MCS, her training and experience in that method makes its way into her lesson plans.

“I’m training them to be independent and choose their work so I can focus on one child at a time if I need to,” the teacher said.

Students get to decide what aspects of the lesson plan in which they want to work on for a particular day.

“For reading class, I require journaling and cursive writing, but then they get choices,” she said. “If they’re done with it and able to do something, they monitor themselves that way they can see how they’re progressing on their own, and not just dependent on the teacher, but then at the end of the week I can see what activities a student has been avoiding it struggling with.”

McCoy received her degree from the University of the Philippines in communication arts and education, then underwent further Montessori training. She moved to Marshalltown in September 2016, taking a break from teaching to help her husband with his business.

“I first saw Miss Jade in action at a 100 Women Who Care meeting earlier this year. I knew that she was working on raising funds for the ‘Vests for the Best’ project,” Wirin said. “I was impressed by her enthusiasm and passion for the project and recalled that she had been a teacher in the Philippines. Last spring, once we had determined the positions we were hiring for, I contacted Miss Jade and invited her to apply and interview. The word I remember using to describe Miss Jade following the interview was ‘passionate’ — passionate about the Lord, children and teaching.”

McCoy’s passion for education is strong because of a love of seeing her students change and develop as individuals.

“(In the Philippines) I started with grade one and moved into high school, so I basically followed my students until they graduated,” she said. “I like seeing them from the beginning and imagining them become what they’re supposed to be.”

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Contact Sara Jordan-Heintz at

641-753-6611 or sjordan@timesrepublican.com