Fourth Grade
Jessica Arnold
Bringing more than a decade of experience to Rossman, Jessica endeavors to cultivate a classroom environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves creatively and taking the risks necessary for true learning to take place. “I love getting to know each student as a unique individual with their own prior knowledge, strengths, and areas of challenge,” she says. “I believe that everything students bring to the classroom is an important part of who they are and how they learn.”
Fourth grade holds a special place in Jessica’s heart, and she has devoted the majority of her career to this unique grade level. “It’s such a transitional year for students. I see so much change in students from the beginning of fourth grade to the end, and it is a joy to see the independence and confidence that develops throughout the year,” she says.
Jessica holds a Master of Education from the University of Washington, where she specialized in Language, Literacy and Culture. “I am especially passionate about literacy, and I think that reading and writing are incredibly powerful ways to learn about the world and also to reflect on our own lives,” she says. She is also fascinated by how the brain works and how people learn and develop throughout their lives. “It is a tremendous privilege to be an influence in children’s lives during these early years that play such an important part in shaping their world view and their understanding of themselves,” she reflects.
Jessica returned to her hometown of St. Louis in 2020 following 12 years of teaching fourth grade in the San Francisco Bay Area. An avid traveler, she has lived in a number of places — including China, where she taught high school English, and Prague, Czech Republic, where she studied abroad as an undergraduate. She has visited nearly 40 countries.
In addition to traveling and spending time with family and friends, this mom of two’s hobbies include camping, hiking, exploring new neighborhoods and restaurants, and enjoying live music.
Naomi Smith
Bio Coming Soon