Meeting Mrs. Erxleben
Jennifer Erxleben is one of over 30 new staff members at West Florence this school year. As part of Knight Life’s initiative to interview all of our new Knights, I sat down with Erxleben and got to know her. It was a really amazing experience and she was a joy to be able to meet.
Erxleben, 39, has been teaching high school English for over 18 years. After leaving South Florence, and moving to the West side of town, Mrs. Erxleben accepted a position here at WF.
What does she think about the castle?
“The administration is phenomenal! They’re all so pleasant, so helpful, so willing to do what needs to be done. I have never seen a faculty that is so supportive; across the board!” she said.
Over the summer, just a few weeks before the new school year, Erxleben took a fall and ended up breaking several bones in her foot. However, this was not going to stop her from having a great year. Some teachers, as well as Principal Matthew Dowdell, even put in a work order to have a ramp built outside her mobile for Erxleben’s injury to make her more comfortable. She truly believes in all the changes being made and thinks West Florence is making changes that are common sense and are smart decisions for the student body’s education.
Erxleben has taught every level of English, as well as Mythology, Yearbook, and Pathways to Success. She really enjoys teaching English 2 and students who are challenging as well as a joy to teach.
Her favorite books to teach are Night by Elie Wiesel and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. However, when it comes to reading on her own and at home, she enjoys reading series such as Twilight, Harry Potter and the Tudor Court series by Phillipa Gregory.
At home, Erxleben lives a relatively normal and happy life. She has been married for almost 17 years to Jason Erxleben. She actually met him when they were both attending West Florence High School, even though they didn’t actually date until after college. Their sons, Ethan and Owen, are identical twins who are freshmen this year in the Castle. Their daughter Addison, 11, attends Greenwood Elementary and will attend West Florence in just a few years. Joining their family, they have 4 cats and 2 dogs.
Despite the stereotype that all teachers do well in school, students would be surprised to learn that Erxleben did not excel in school. As a child, one of her teachers was unkind and often unwilling to help her, which forced her to work twice as hard and learn on her own. Her worst subject was math but she eventually learned to love school and the environment.
During the summers and school breaks, Erxleben enjoys reading books that don’t relate to school and give her an outlet outside of school life. She also enjoys arts and crafts from time to time and the silence of being away from chaos and school life.
