Kirsten Thornton

Professional Biography

I graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (Elementary Education) and a concentration in Special Education. While at APU, I completed my student teaching in elementary public school classrooms and in a 3rd–5th grade pull-out program for students receiving special education services. I also have experience working with students in grades 3+ in reading and math through various after-school and summer programs.

Since graduating, I have had the privilege of teaching both 4th and 5th grades here at San Jose Christian School, using differentiation to meet the diverse needs of my students. I am passionate about creating an engaging environment that fosters growth in a Christ-centered way. It’s a joy to continue serving the SJCS community.

Personal Biography

I was born and raised in San Jose alongside my younger brother. With both of my parents being teachers, I quite literally “grew up in the classroom,” which inspired my passion for education and my desire to become a teacher. I attended Azusa Pacific University for college, and after graduating in 2020, I decided to move back up here to start teaching in the fall. I met my husband while at APU, and after a season of long-distance dating, we got engaged, and he moved up to San Jose so we could be closer to family and plan the wedding. We were married in October of 2023. Outside the classroom, I enjoy working out, reading, and serving on the worship team at my church.

Christian Philosophy of Education

As a Christian educator, my desire is for students to love God, love others, and love themselves more by the end of the year. I want my classroom to be a safe space where students can learn to see the goodness of God in every area of their lives and the lives around them. As a teacher, I hold students to high expectations, not just in academics, but as people who encourage each other, grow in the word, and treat each other as Christ has commanded us to (Ephesians 4:32). I have been blessed to see Christian leadership modeled by my parents as teachers. The biggest advice given to me that I carry every day is: “be sure at the end of the day, each and every student is reminded of how much they are loved by God.”