What do Lego and leadership have in common? Ask Jackie Pina, and she’ll tell you: both take patience, creativity, and a willingness to rebuild when things don’t go as planned. Now in her fifth year at Innovations Academy, a tuition-free K-8 public school in San Diego, Jackie brings that same flexible, student-first mindset into her 3rd grade classroom every day. We asked Jackie to share about the IA teaching philosophy behind her approach and how it shows up in classrooms across our school. Get to know the teacher turning her students’ interests into inspiration and STEM lessons into hands-on building adventures.
Please tell us about your background and how you found Innovations Academy.
I was raised in Denver, Colorado, but have loved calling San Diego home for the past seven years. I have a bachelor’s degree in Human Psychology and a master’s degree in Elementary Education. I learned about Innovations Academy when I interned during my master’s program.
What do you LOVE about Innovations Academy? What sets it apart from other schools?
I love the flexibility we have in teaching.
This flexibility is by design. At Innovations Academy, teachers aren’t handed a script or a textbook to follow page by page. Instead, our non-textbook, project-based curriculum gives teachers the freedom to build lessons that align with California state standards—without being driven by standardized testing. That means teachers like Jackie can shape lessons around what excites her students most, turning everyday topics into hands-on projects (see below). It’s one of the many ways our small school lets both teachers and students bring their full selves into the learning process.
How have you seen social emotional learning (SEL) in action at Innovations Academy?
Students ask for a break when they are feeling stressed or need to reset.
This kind of self-awareness is the result of Innovations Academy’s social emotional learning (SEL) program, which teaches students to use tools like the Wheel of Choice to recognize their own emotions and self-regulate. When a student asks for a break, it’s a sign the SEL lessons are working exactly as intended.
Please share some hands-on project-based learning in your classroom.
This year we’ve incorporated Lego into our STEM lessons.
Bringing LEGO into STEM is a great example of Innovations Academy’s non-textbook, project-based curriculum in action. Rather than learning engineering concepts from a worksheet, students build, test, and problem-solve hands-on—turning abstract ideas like structure and design into something they can literally hold in their hands.
How do you teach leadership?
A great leader has good management skills and is able to give and receive feedback. Each student in the class has a job and accountability for it each week.
Feedback is a big part of how Innovations Academy teaches leadership across every grade. Through daily morning meetings, class council, and our Positive Discipline approach, students practice giving and receiving feedback in real time—whether that’s leading a class discussion, resolving a conflict with a peer, or reflecting on their own work. It’s less about being “in charge” and more about being someone others can trust and learn from, a lesson that carries well beyond 3rd grade.
What are your favorite parts about teaching third grade?
Student interactions and using students’ interests as motivation for lessons.
Fun Facts About Jackie:
I love to bake (decorating cakes is a secret talent!), hike, do jiujitsu, spend time with my family and cook.
If I could only listen to one singer for the rest of my life it would be Bad Bunny.
I’m on the Social Committee at IA.
If I had to eat one meal for the rest of my life every day, it would be tacos de asada.
Thank you, Jackie, and welcome back for another great year of learning! Learn more about Jackie and other teachers here on our website. And check out more about our small, tuition-free K-8 and enroll today!
About Innovations Academy:
Innovations Academy is a tuition-free public charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in San Diego, California. Our small school values a hands-on, inquiry-based education with high academic standards using self-expression, compassionate connection, and purposeful learning. Our new modern campus is intentionally designed with curiosity and exploration in mind. Join our innovative school today! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Find us at innovationsacademy.org.