Jessica Huang (Upper Division)
Jessica was born in Wenzhou, China and moved to the United States with her family when she was 6 years old. She has lived in multiple neighborhoods in Queens, including Woodside, Corona, and Flushing, where she now resides. Jessica attended PS 152, PS 21, JHS 185, and Stuyvesant High School. Mathematics has always been her favorite subject, but she also loves learning about science through real world experiments and applications. The inquiry-based approach is at the core of Jessica’s teaching philosophy because she believes that not only should students be learning meaningful content, but they also need to be equipped with the tools and strategies to explore their own personal topics of interest independently.
Jessica earned a Bachelor’s degree in Media, Culture, and Communications at New York University while also dabbling in studio art as a Global Visual Art minor. At NYU, she was also enrolled in a Global Media Scholars program, which allowed her to study abroad for three separate semesters in three vastly different locations: Paris, Shanghai, and Abu Dhabi. From her experiences abroad, Jessica developed a passion for social justice education and inclusive teaching, which is why she decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Elementary Inclusive Education at Teachers College, Columbia University after graduation. Inclusion is the core tenet that Jessica believes is most important in maintaining a joyful and positive learning environment that is conducive for all.
As a teacher, Jessica believes that it is her responsibility to foster her students’ love of learning and willingness to challenge themselves and the curriculum. She enjoys giving students the opportunity to become the experts in the classroom because this creates a more dynamic learning atmosphere. Students come to school with vast funds of knowledge and Jessica tries her best to tap into those interests to create meaningful learning experiences that students will find engaging, yet rigorous.
