Jenessa teaches our middle school English Language Arts classes in collaboration with our Global Research and Jewish Studies teachers. Jenessa grounds her teaching practice in the belief that middle school is a time of great change for students — change in their brains, their bodies, and their hearts. The texts they read in middle school should speak to them as citizens of the world, as junior historians, and as champions of social justice. They must learn to be active, critical readers, eloquent speakers, and masterful writers. To help them on this path, Jenessa guides them through study of meaningful texts and explicit writing instruction.

Jenessa Schwartz is a proud Yavneh graduate (class of 1993) and is thrilled to still be part of the Yavneh family. She graduated with a BA in English and Theatre from Warren Wilson College and returned to the Bay Area to work as a Stage Manager in local theaters. During that time, Jenessa also began tutoring and discovered a passion for teaching. She went back to school and received a Masters in Education from NYU. Jenessa loves talking with students about literature, helping them see books as both mirrors in which they see themselves and windows into lives different than their own. She also enjoys helping students become confident writers who can ably and eloquently express themselves.

In her spare time, Jenessa enjoys practicing yoga, belting out showtunes in her kitchen, and spending time with her kids Ramona and Solomon.