PrepNow Tutor - Jamie Z.
An easy-going, fun, and curious tutor who loves to teach, learn, and everything in between, Jamie earned her BS in nursing from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, studied photography at Penland School of Crafts, and is pursuing an MA in special education with a focus on emotional behavioral disorder at St. Thomas University. For twelve years, Jamie worked as a registered nurse in various units. However, after realizing her desire to expand her work with children beyond the hospital bed, Jamie pursued a career in teaching. For four years, she worked exclusively in special education but later received licensure to work as a short-call substitute, which allows her to teach any subject, pre-K to adult, for short periods of time. “I chose this because I wanted to be able to use my skills in science and math and because I have a diverse range of interests and I love the variety,” Jamie explains. She compares substitute teaching to the ER of teaching in that you have to be able to think fast and be flexible, draw on a wide base of knowledge, and have a core set of skills that allows you to work across subjects and environments -- a skill-set that also translates to her one-on-one tutoring. In addition to her teaching and tutoring, Jamie is an education consultant and runs a photography studio out of Minneapolis.
Jamie first started academic tutoring in college and has been tutoring the ACT and SAT professionally for several years, working with over fifty students and receiving several referrals. She has taught nearly every subject and grade. Jamie first gained an interest in teaching when she took a CPR class as a lifeguard at sixteen and the instructor told her she’d make a good instructor. “So I took the instructor training course and started from there,” she says, explaining that from that day on teaching was always a part of her life. “I’m a curious person,” Jamie says. “I like to know 'why' and, even more, I like to understand. And I think that everyone can empathize with the empowerment 'understanding something can bring. So why wouldn't I want to help people feel empowered? It's an incredible thing.”
When asked about her teaching style, Jamie explains the importance of focusing on each student's strengths and working to find small, easy relatable details that are specific to her students, to help them learn. “Anyone can learn anything, we just have to find the 'right' thing - something the student already knows well - and relate the new information back to it,” she says. With the mindset that it’s our differences that make us each exceptional, Jamie focuses on helping students recognize their potential through a strength-based approach.
In high school, Jamie was on the swimming team, Nordic skiing team, speed-skating team, and golf team. She was also in band, orchestra, and a member of the National Honor Society. In college, Jamie was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma National Sorority and volunteered with the Somerset Fire Department. She is a published photographer and has held a mentorship with a National Geographic photographer. Jamie loves spending time outdoors.
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