Photo courtesy of Jenny Firth.
Jenny Firth and her husband
Jenny Firth has been a teacher at Homewood Middle School for 10 years.
Q: Please tell our readers about yourself.
A: I’m from Tennessee and came to Birmingham to attend Samford University. I’ve been married to my husband, Josh, for almost 22 years, and we have three sons (Winston, Thatcher and Shepard). Our family is all in when it comes to Homewood. It’s where we all live, work, go to school and shop. We even helped plant a church, Grace Fellowship, in Homewood that we’ve now been attending for over 10 years.
Q: What do you teach at Homewood High? How long have you been teaching there?
A: This is my 10th year at Homewood High School. I teach general chemistry and currently serve as the head of the science department.
Q: What do you think is special and unique about the Homewood community? Why is it a great place to live and work?
A: There are so many special things about Homewood, but maybe the best thing is its inclusivity. A real community shares life, celebrates each other and even struggles together. It’s not because it’s comfortable or easy or because we’re all alike. Homewood — the city and the school — embraces people like no other place I’ve ever seen. Everyone can find a place to belong in Homewood, and in times where there is so much division, what we have here is so unique and such a blessing.
Photo courtesy of Jenny Firth.
Jenny Firth and her family
Jenny Firth has been a teacher at Homewood Middle School for 10 years.
Q: Did you have a particular teacher that made an impact on you?
A: I had some good teachers when I was in school, but I’ve been impacted much more by some of the teachers my own children have had and by my colleagues that I see do amazing things every day. Two teachers that my family and I will always be indebted to are Andrea McCormack at Homewood Middle School and the late Molly Remmert Rossell, formerly at Homewood Preschool at Hall Kent. These ladies walked alongside us during such hard times. They were life changers. Life savers. They were part of our family for those seasons, and I honestly don’t know how we would have made it without them.
Q: What is the most important lesson that you hope students learn from you?
A: I hope all of my students learn that their value is not found in their grades. Success is not making an A. It is so easy to get caught up in your GPA and your ACT score. It’s easy to do as a parent, and I know better. Everyone has their own gifts and talents. I want them to find theirs and appreciate other people’s. We aren’t meant to be masters of everything.
Q: What is next for you and for your family?
A: We do have some changes coming and a few things we are involved in. My youngest son will start high school next year, and my middle son will graduate and head to college in 2027. My husband and I are very involved with a Homewood based nonprofit, ourHOME, which is working to create independent living opportunities and social community for adults with developmental differences. Our oldest son is an active member of the ourHOME social community, and we hope he’ll be able to transition to independent living in the future. The second annual “Mustache Bash” benefiting ourHOME is Friday, April 17, at The Edge, and we’re excited to see how this amazing, inclusive community shows up to support these unique individuals.
