Jennifer K. Ciok

Jennifer K. Ciok is an educator with more than 25 years of experience in the field, including 15 years as a middle school social studies and English teacher. She has gone on to support teachers and school leaders at the systems level, with a focus on school culture, climate, and classroom learning conditions that help middle grades students thrive.

Ciok serves as the Manager of Coaching and Improvement for the University of Chicago’s To&Through Middle Grades Network, where she works closely with school teams—particularly in Chicago Public Schools—to use qualitative and quantitative data and research to define problems of practice and implement change ideas to better support students. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and a Master’s in Reading Education from Ohio University and has additional credentials in College and Career Advising and Gifted Education. Ciok is the author of The Meaningful Middle School Classroom: How to Spark Engagement That Fosters Deep Learning, which draws on her extensive experience as a teacher and coach to explore how educators can build engaging, equitable middle school classrooms.