what others say
Head of graduate education program:
“She easily ranks in the top 5% of all our graduates over the past decade... She engages immediately ... and adapts easily to a wide variety of learning styles and classroom or rehearsal dynamics... Jessica is an outstanding and active listener, who can immediately engage either a large class or a single student. She quickly ascertains students' individual needs and masterfully breaks down complex concepts into steps that let every student succeed. She radiates a love of learning, and creates a warm, supportive learning community in her classrooms and rehearsal rooms." -RC, Emerson College
Supervising teacher during student teaching:
"In my 23 years of teaching, Jessica is the finest student teacher I have ever had the opportunity to work with and feel she has been a wonderful colleague who has made such a difference in such a short period of time. I feel as if she has been a co-teacher instead of a student teacher. She has developed long-lasting relationships with her students and the department as if she has been here for years. Her student teaching experience was seamless and she owned her teaching and curriculum development. She has impacted many students by working with them after-school, in-class, and during lunches and is a caring individual who truly believes in student-centered learning and development." -AB, Newton, MA
Peer Teacher, 2nd Grade Lead Teacher:
“Jessica is a phenomenal movement teacher. I expected her to succeed in helping kids release their energy in safe and meaningful ways, and she does just that... but so much more. Jessica has helped kids develop self-regulation skills that are essential to their work in movement, but also their work in the classroom. She is constantly asking students to self-assess, an area of hers from which I am quickly gaining ideas! She applies a growth mindset by having students recognize successes and struggles, using peers as teachers, and frequently facilitating discussions about becoming better dancers, learners, and crew members. Jessica has added a (necessary) structure to movement class that allows all students to engage in safe and productive ways. She has also been open to suggestions about differentiating her work, and providing adaptations/accommodations in her classroom.
Jessica's presence far exceeds that of Lower School Movement teacher however. She brings a calm and centered, yet direct and action-oriented energy to our team. Jessica's commitment to learning in the areas of the arts, wellness, and social-emotional skills is so necessary for our students, and our team.” -LM, Boston, MA
Former private student (high school):
“She is always energetic and upbeat, and she makes everything fun. She is good at breaking down complicated [things] and is always patient. Jessica is also very creative, which helps to keep everyone involved and working, and is great for situations where not everyone in the group is quite on the same level. It also means that if something isn’t working, she has no problem coming up with a new approach that can help the student better understand what she is trying to teach them.
Jessica is also highly organized, which can be somewhat rare in the arts. I have had so many theater teachers, dance teachers, and directors who are smart and creative, but are also extremely disorganized. Jessica always had a plan for where we were going and what she wanted to accomplish, and was good at time management. At the same time, she was never rigid, and was good at being flexible with the plan if she needed to be… and had a good grasp of the overall picture and knew what we needed to do to get there.
Finally, I always felt that Jessica was interested in me as a whole person, and invested in not only teaching me dance skills, but also helping me through life. If she could do anything to help me in any way, both in dance, on the stage, or any other capacity, she was always willing, and even more important, I always felt comfortable asking her. It would be hard to find a more supportive and welcoming teacher, and she is the best at always making learning fun!" -PB, Charlottesville, VA
Words from the middle schoolers:
“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in ANY class - if you can’t find a way to fun in this class, you’re doing something wrong. Without this class, the year would be very dull. Is there any way I can keep taking it? Thank you for making school enjoyable by leading such a fun class. YOU are my favorite teacher.”
“You’re my role model.”
“I love you so much! Thank you for creating a class where I can escape from all the stress that school brings and just let everything go and I had an amazing time overall.”
“I don’t wanna leave this class, it’s my favorite!”
“I wish we could continue with this for the whole year. It’s like the only class that I like.”
“I am going to miss you very much and I loved this class very much.”
“I really loved your class and I’m super sad it’s over.”
“It’s the best class I’ve taken.”
“I LOVED this class and was so happy to have it every day!”
“Thank you so much for a lovely experience! You were an amazing teacher and I hope I’ll have a class with you again someday.”
“I’m going to miss it so much. I looked forward to this class every day.”
“We didn’t have stuff like this at my old school, and it was a lot of fun.”
“I loved [the class]. You were my favorite teacher and my favorite class. I learned so much! So thank you very much! I will miss you!”