Jessica Sauer

My name is Jessica Sauer, and I am excited to join the PLA team this year!  I have been an educator for 16 years, and the majority of those years were spent teaching at another tutorial school for homeschool students in Nashville.  Most of my teaching experience has been with middle school and high school English/Literature.  I have also taught Journalism, College Readiness, ACT prep, Wilson Reading Program, S.P.I.R.E., and Creative Writing. I love reading and all kinds of writing! My top three favorite books are “Lord of the Rings”, “Selected Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, and “Ishmael”, and my favorite writing is poetry. It has always been my privilege and honor to share this passion with students who may experience some of their favorite stories for the first time in class.  I believe that learning looks different for all of us, and it is with great responsibility that I attempt to empower students with skills necessary to become life-long learners (and hopefully life-long readers!).  

I grew up in Southern Indiana and earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Secondary Education: English with graduate credit in Multicultural Education.  I spent 6 months teaching in New Zealand after graduating, then I moved to Nashville in 2006. I taught English/Journalism at Gateway Academy for 10 years, then switched rolls when my first daughter was born to serve as Director of Holly Tree Christian Preschool in Nashville for 2 years.  I loved teaching at a homeschool tutorial for many years in Nashville- and I look forward to returning to the classroom.   I also look forward to the opportunity to facilitate a  student-led newspaper for PLA families! What an exciting adventure for all of us! 

I am currently a tutor at Learning Matters during the week teaching students structured literacy (Wilson Reading and S.P.I.R.E.).  I work with many students with dyslexia and  students who struggle with reading. I adore my job, and I love helping students find their own power and confidence with reading!  

My husband and I have lived in Smyrna for 6 years now, and we have two sweet kids, Charlie (4 years old) and Finley (1 year old), and five cats at home.  We love the outdoors, road trip adventures, and quality time with our families. I am thankful for this opportunity to serve as a teacher in my community at Priest Lake Academy! Please contact me with any questions you may have this year.  Email: sauerjess1029@gmail.com