Community Highlights: Meet Jess Morgan of EnlightenEd Tutoring

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess Morgan

Hi Jess, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in Australia and grew up in a small country town with my English dad, Australian mum and my two younger siblings. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher, so after my gap year living and working in France I studied at Deakin University in Melbourne where I graduated with a Bachelor of Education.

Knowing that I wanted to live abroad again, in February 2017 I accepted a teaching position at the International School of Hanover in the north of Germany. I was there for 6 months filling a maternity position before I moved to the very south of Germany and started working at the International School of Ulm as their 4th and then 3rd grade teacher. In 2020 I met my now husband – a JAG officer in the US Army – and when Europe wasn’t in lockdown we traveled the continent together. By May 2021 we were engaged and in November that year I moved to America.

Upon moving to America I took a break from working in schools. Working in education through Covid had been rough and I was very lucky to be able to take a step back. I got my personal training certification and worked at an F45 gym in D.C for the 2 years that we lived there. In 2023 we moved to Charlottesville, Virginia and I decided to start working in education again. I was Curriculum Coordinator, 3rd/4th grade teacher, assistant teacher in the Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten French class and taught 2nd/3rd/4th grade PE at the International School of Charlottesville. Needless to say, it was a very busy year. Unfortunately my year in Charlottesville exemplified all the aspects of education that had led to my initial burnout – poor pay, high stress, ineffective leadership etc.

Due to another military move we only stayed for one year in Charlottesville and my husband and I are now living just outside Kansas City, Missouri.

I decided to use my background in education to start my own tutoring business for kindergarten and elementary students, because I still love teaching – I just didn’t always love being a teacher. After teaching online for months during Covid, I knew that I could provide effective and meaningful learning experiences for children all over the world, and that instead of starting a new job every few years due to our circumstances I would be able to build something that could travel with me.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like everyone, I have encountered challenges and obstacles along the way. Despite always wanting to be a teacher, I struggled at school and had it not been for the unwavering support and love from my parents I don’t know if I would have been able to achieve this dream. Although school was hard for me, I believe it’s helped me to become a great teacher, because I can truly empathize and understand how some kids feel about school. It also means that I understand the importance of building relationships with my students because kids don’t learn from people who they feel don’t care about them.

Living so far away from my family for so many years has been difficult, but we are very close and they have always respected and supported my decision to not live in Australia. Covid-19 period aside, I see my family at least once a year, whether I go to visit them or they come to visit me.

Deciding to leave full-time teaching in schools was also a difficult decision for me. Teaching was something I had wanted to do since I was a teenager, and I had loved my time working in international schools in Germany, but I knew that I couldn’t keep putting my mental and physical health second. Starting my own tutoring business has eased the transition out of schools as I’ve been able to continue teaching while also enjoying life at a more sustainable and enjoyable pace.

As you know, we’re big fans of EnlightenEd Tutoring. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
EnlightenEd Tutoring fosters academic growth, enhances confidence and cultivates a love of learning through tailored tutoring services for kindergarten & elementary students, both virtually and in-person.

As a qualified and highly experienced elementary teacher, I ensure that children are engaged in activities that solidify both simple and complex concepts, while simultaneously building confidence in all learning areas. I use assessment to gauge student understanding and to ensure that I am designing relevant and appropriately challenging learning experiences. My tutoring sessions can focus on one specific content area or subject (e.g. math, reading, writing) or a more general overview of all grade level standards. I also provide French tutoring for new language learners.

Unlike many other tutoring services I am able to offer virtual sessions to students all around the world, in particular to military families who move every 2-3 years. For children of military families I can provide educational consistency as well as being someone who knows firsthand what it’s like to move around so much.

In addition to one-on-one sessions I run ‘learning pods’ of 2-4 students for homeschool families who need some additional support. This can be for siblings of the same family or a group of similar aged students.

Families can choose from 30 or 50 minutes sessions, and I offer a 10 session pack with a 50% discount on the 10th session.

I always provide a free trial session to get to know the family, which also helps me understand the students’ needs and their learning goals.

What’s next?
Being in the military I have had to adjust what my future planning looks and feels like, because we can’t really plan more than two years out! In the short term I am most excited about building my business into something that supports families both in the Kansas City area but also throughout the rest of the US and Europe.

Next summer we are moving to Hawaii which is not only much closer to Australia but it is also where my husband’s identical twin and his family live, so that is something I’m really looking forward to! I will continue to build my business out there, both with virtual clients and new in-person clients. I am hoping that I will be able to transition from in-person to virtual with my students from this year so I can continue supporting them throughout their schooling.

Pricing:

• In-Person 30 mins – $40
• In-Person 50 mins – $60
• Virtual 30 mins – $35
• Virtual 50 mins – $55
• In-Person 10 Pack – $380 (30 mins), $570 (50 mins) / Virtual 10 pack $332,50 (30 mins), $522.50 (50 mins)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jessicamorgan04.wixsite.com/enlightened-tutoring
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlightenedtutoring_?igsh=MTlnb2NjcDB0Zjln&utm_source=qr