Long before Jeanette Ghinelli became a 3K teacher with All My Children, two teachers showed her what it could mean to truly care for your students.
One taught art. The other taught math. Yet the lessons Jeanette remembers most weren’t necessarily about either subject.
She remembers being listened to, cared for, and treated like family.
Today, after 12 years as a teacher, including four years with All My Children, Jeanette Ghinelli is a 3K teacher at AMC Rogers Avenue in Brooklyn, where she brings those lessons into her own classroom.
For this week’s Heart of AMC, we’re getting to know Mrs. Ghinelli, the teachers who inspired her, the classroom moments she loves most, and the creativity that continues to be part of her story.
Two Teachers She Never Forgot
Jeanette’s path to teaching began when she was still a student herself.
Her high school art teacher, Miss Baronian, was patient and nurturing. More importantly, she made time to listen.
“She took the time to talk to us about anything that we wanted to talk about, and I just looked up to her as a teacher and as a friend.”
Her math teacher, Mr. Yard, made a different but equally lasting impression. Jeanette remembers how he treated his students like family, as though they were his own children.
Together, their examples helped shape the kind of educator she hoped to become.
“I knew I wanted to be a teacher who took the time to listen to children and showed them love and patience.”
For Jeanette, teaching would be about more than helping a child master a skill. It would also be about the relationship built along the way.
Creating a Classroom Where Children Can Be Themselves
Now, 12 years into her teaching career, Jeanette has a classroom of her own. So, what does she hope her 3K children feel when they arrive each morning? Her answer is simple:
“I hope when my kids come in the classroom that they feel safe and they feel loved, seen, and I hope that they can feel comfortable enough to be themselves in my classroom and have fun.”
Safe. Loved. Seen.
For three-year-olds, a classroom is a place filled with new experiences. They’re developing independence, making friends, expressing ideas, trying unfamiliar things, and discovering what they’re capable of doing.
Because of that, Jeanette wants her classroom to be a place where children feel comfortable exploring those experiences while simply being themselves.
And, of course, she wants them to have fun while they’re doing it.
The “Look, I Did It!” Moments
Some of Jeanette’s favorite moments happen when a child realizes they’ve accomplished something on their own.
Maybe they’ve written a letter for the first time. Perhaps they’ve finally learned how to spell their name.
Then their expression changes.
“Their face lights up with so much joy, and they look at you for your approval to be proud of them.”
That’s the part Jeanette loves.
A skill that seems small to an adult can feel enormous to a three-year-old who’s been working toward it. So when that proud little face turns toward her, Jeanette wants to celebrate right along with them.
Those moments aren’t only about writing a letter or spelling a name. They’re also about a child discovering:
I can do this.
Making Something Out of Nothing
Creativity has a special place in Jeanette’s classroom.
Her favorite activity to do with her children is art—something that has been meaningful to her since her own days as a student.
“I love art, so it comes natural for me. Making something out of nothing brings me happiness.”
Now she gets to share that happiness with her class.
With a few materials and a little imagination, children can turn a blank page into something entirely their own. Jeanette especially enjoys watching them look at the finished project and recognize that they created it themselves.
“The kids, they love seeing what they created on their own.”
In a way, it brings Jeanette’s story full circle.
Years ago, an art teacher helped show her what a caring educator could be. Today, art is one of the ways Jeanette connects, creates, and has fun with the children in her own classroom.
What the Little Victories Mean
After 12 years of teaching, the moments Jeanette talks about most aren’t elaborate lessons or picture-perfect classroom activities.
She treasures the excitement of a child forming a letter independently. There’s the pride on their face when they finally spell their name. And during art, she gets to watch a handful of simple supplies become something a child can proudly call their own.
These moments may happen every day in an early childhood classroom, but that doesn’t make them ordinary.
For Jeanette, they’re reminders of why she wanted to teach in the first place.
The Heart of AMC: Jeanette Ghinelli, 3K Teacher
There is something special about seeing inspiration passed from one classroom to another.
Miss Baronian and Mr. Yard gave Jeanette an example of the kind of teacher she wanted to become. Years later, she is building her own relationships with children at AMC Rogers Avenue in Brooklyn.
Maybe one day they won’t remember every art project they made or every letter they practiced.
But Jeanette hopes they will know what it felt like to walk into a classroom where they could be themselves, try something new, and have someone there ready to celebrate when they discovered:
“Look! I did it!”
And that is the heart Ms. Jeanette Ghinelli brings to her classroom every day.
Learn More About AMC Rogers Avenue
Interested in learning more about the school where Jeanette teaches? Explore our AMC Rogers Avenue location in Brooklyn to learn more about the center and enrollment opportunities.