Brookfield Resident, Newtown Teacher Takes Position in Westport

It's hard to spend any amount of time with Jennifer Huettner and not have her crack a joke or two.

The 50-year-old single Brookfield resident has taught Latin for 11 years at Newtown High School, where she ranks among one of the most popular faculty members, known for her close bonds with students and sense of humor.

"I married school; it was a lovely ceremony," she said during an interview this week.

Huettner recently announced she is leaving Newtown to become the Latin teacher at Staples High School in Westport. She replaces long-time Staples teacher and former Jesuit priest, Dan Sullivan.

"They had an 80-year-old priest retire," Huettner quipped. "I'll be the 50-year-old youngster."

With a high energy level, Huettner is one of those teachers that nearly every student in Newtown knows because they had her for Latin class; seen her work at the scorers table at the high school gymnasium and stadium booth; had her as a golf, and at one time, field hockey coach; or had friends tell stories about her.

"Everyone just loves her," said Kate Adams, 17, a Newtown High School student who took Latin II as a junior and had hoped to have Huettner as a teacher in senior year. "She's one of a kind. You'll never find anyone like her again."

Huettner's classes are among the most popular, growing from slightly less than 100 students taking Latin when she started in 1998 to now about 215 students, she said.

One of the staples of Huettner's classes is the time she takes every Monday to exchange "Latin moments" with students.

Latin moments are times when a situation arises or a word appears that has its basis in the Latin language. For instance, in a Starbucks store, students will see advertisements for "Via," an instant coffee mix marketed by the coffee chain, which in Latin means "road."

It's a technique that allows students to connect what they have learned in class with everyday life. It's also a good way to get students engaged in the material.

"I'm a shy person in class," Adams said. "She pushed me to participate more in the class."

While Huettner exudes an easygoing laid-back demeanor, she also has been known to pull students aside when she believes they are trying to skate through the class – for instance reusing Latin moments from week to week.

"She wants you to learn it, she wants you to get it," Adams said. "She wants you to pass the course."

Perhaps the one trademark that makes Huettner special, and one that is not lost on students, is the time she takes to connect with students.

"She really takes time to know us and know our personality," Adams said.

Huettner said that getting to know students is what makes her job interesting, though she initially joked about why she is successful at it.

"I don't know, I'm short, I see eye to eye with them," she quipped, before saying, "I don't think it's fun if you don't take an interest."

While it was sad for her to say goodbye to her students and colleagues, Huettner said teaching at Westport was an opportunity she couldn't let pass. She will get a salary increase, though some of that money will go towards commuting from Brookfield.

"This is a really good opportunity to finish out my career," she said.

Westport officials also have welcomed her ideas, including saying they are open to buying new textbooks at her suggestion, Huettner said.

"Westport appreciates education," she said.

Huettner joked that when she went to Westport to get the final paperwork filled out, including submitting her fingerprints, she stopped to ask for directions to the police station.

"Do you know where the Tiffany's (store) is?" the person asked her.

"I thought to myself, 'You have arrived,'" Huettner said.