Hawaii’s Jonathan Guillentine: Award-winning early learning resource teacher

It’s always a joy to learn about fellow educators who have been recognized for their outstanding work in the classroom. One such educator is Jonathan Guillentine, an early learning resource teacher from Honolulu, Hawaii.

Jonathan earned his Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology in 1977, his Master’s degree in Special Education in 1981, and his Doctorate in Education in 2005, all from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

In 1978, this chalkboard champion began his career as a third grade teacher at Bloomingtron Christian School in 1978, but soon transferred to Kailua High School in the outskirts of Honolulu, where he worked as a Special Education resource teacher, where he worked for twelve years. From Kailua he went to Reverend Benjamin Parker School in Kaneohe, where he worked as both a resource teacher and a pre-school inclusion teacher. In 2014, Jonathan took a position as early learning specialist at the Windward District Office of the Hawaii State Department of Education, and in 2015 he became a mentor teacher for the Executive Office on Early Learning, which administers Hawaii’s public pre-school program. He holds this position today. In all, Jonathan has spent 36 years as a professional educator.

Jonathan’s work has earned him praise from other professional educators. “Jonathan is the quintessential professional,” declares instructional coach Tracey Idica. “There is no one better suited or more effective in reaching little ones’ hearts and minds. His work appears to come naturally from within his soul; however, it is rich with research-based best practices,” she notes. Colleague Alecia Burroughs agrees. “Jonathan is the type of person who inspires others to be the best person and educator possible,” she asserts. “All who meet him gravitate towards him, adults and children alike.”

For his work in the classroom, Jonathan has earned many accolades. In 2007, he was named an Outstanding Early Childhood Practitioner by the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. In 2010, he was honored by the National Science Teachers Association with their Early Science Educator Award. In 2012, he garnered an National Educators Association Foundation’s Horace Mann Award. In 2017, he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, the first educator from Hawaii to be so honored.