Ms Jess - Lead Teacher Redwoods

Hi! My name is Jess and I am so excited to be a Sunflower teacher with Ms. Kaylie! I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan and attended college at The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where I studied early childhood education and sociology.
At U of M, I was given the opportunity to work in various settings with children both in and out of the classroom. Student teaching, babysitting, volunteering and leading a seminar for an after-school program at a homeless shelter in Ypsilanti, have given me enough experience to know that I belong in the classroom, working with children. They have also provided me with the insight to build a strong foundation, and one-on-one relationships with my students. Above all else, I have found that constant communication with families is very beneficial for each student.
After graduating in 2014, I decided to make the move to Chicago and begin my role working as a lead teacher in a Pre-K classroom for a private school downtown. After my class graduated to Kindergarten, I was ready for a new setting and couldn’t have been luckier than to have found Sprouts Academy. As I spent time floating around in each of the classrooms, I found myself doing whatever I could to make sure I could be in the Sunflower classroom! I love working with this age group because their imaginations are fascinating. I find myself learning as much from my group of students as they learn from me!
When I am not teaching, you can usually find me baking in the kitchen, hanging out with my brother and sister, going out with friends, or doing crafts.
Confucius once said, “Find a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” I love working with all the staff members at Sprouts Academy, and building relationships with all the great families here!