Tammy Jessen

Tammy Jessen is an English Language Arts teacher for 8th grade and teaches World Literature for 9th grade, along with writing intervention, at Spring Valley School. She holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree in special education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Before joining SVS, Tammy taught for 25 years at Rudd Middle School in Jefferson County, Alabama, where she earned recognition as "Teacher of the Year," received the "Mentor of the Year Award," and was honored with the "Superintendent Appreciation Award."

Tammy is also a certified academic language practitioner and has implemented innovative teaching techniques in her classroom, focusing on student-centric learning, technology integration, and collaborative projects. Her students enjoy creative assignments, such as "The Butterfly Project," which follows their reading of Night by Elie Wiesel.

Outside of the classroom, Tammy loves traveling, spending time with her grandchildren and family, cooking, crocheting, and playing with her two dogs, Maggie Mae and Marshall. She appreciates the small class sizes, the positive atmosphere, and the supportive environment at SVS, where she believes every student can learn when taught according to their strengths.

Tammy advocates for understanding that learning differences simply mean that students learn in diverse ways, emphasizing that with the right support and strategies, students with dyslexia can indeed learn to read and achieve successful futures.