Welcome!

My name is Jessica Jacobs. I have been part of the Amphi family for 14 years and have been teaching since 1996. As I have the opportunity to connect with my students year after year and develop relationships with them over their time in elementary school, I find it so rewarding to watch their interests and passions deepen and develop and their potential unfold. My husband and I have two children who are also at Innovation Academy! I enjoy reading, outdoor activities, and traveling.

Defining Moment in my Career 

Early in my career, I taught Spanish in a rural high school in the Deep South. My students had lost their Spanish teacher to leukemia two years earlier, and, their hearts hurting, they were determined to "run off" her replacement. Terrified, -I didn't look much older than them at the time,- I established a rigorous syllabus, spoke only in Spanish, and started a Spanish Club. The students flocked to the club and, second semester, became the region's champions in the Spanish Bowl. I learned so much that year about expectations, relationships, courage, and caring. The young people forever have a place in my heart.  

Why I Love Teaching

I love teaching at Innovation! We are a kind, caring, dedicated, professional community. Our families are committed to seeing their children reach their potential. I enjoy the energy that is created by our students' curiosity, problem solving, and hands-on learning. We have high expectations of our students and treat them with dignity, embracing them as whole beings, intellectually, socially, and emotionally. My students make every day an adventure with their sense of humor, creativity, spontaneity and enthusiasm!

Prior Experience

K-5 REACH/Gifted Services, Amphitheater School District, 2007-2019

Third Grade, Prince Elementary, 2005-2007

1996-2005

Bilingual Second Grade

High School Spanish

Classroom Teacher 1st-3rd Grades

Elementary School Spanish

Elementary School Physical Education

English as a Second Language, Seoul, South Korea