Our Faculty

Jill Gelman

Elementary Learning Specialist

At WES Since: 2024

What inspired you to become a teacher:
I became a teacher through my love of travel. I moved abroad in my early twenties to teach English in Prague and fell in love with the city and teaching! I had never thought about becoming an educator before but quickly realized how much I enjoyed working with students, planning lessons, and finding interesting resources to bring into the classroom to engage learning. Through graduate school and work experience, I have fine-tuned my pedagogy, but that initial spark of seeing a student connect with an idea is still what drives my love of teaching.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Poco a poco.
When I was trying to learn Spanish as an adult, my Spanish teacher would tell me to take it poco a poco or bit by bit. It was always a helpful reminder to slow down and take a deep breath when I was feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. To this day, I still repeat it in my head when I need a moment to organize my thoughts and think things through.

Bio:
I grew up in New Jersey and my educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wesleyan University and a Master’s of Art from the Reading Specialist Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. With over twenty years of experience, I have worked in a variety of educational settings. I have lived and taught abroad in international schools working with bilingual language learners. As well, I have taught at several elementary and middle schools in the NYC and DC areas, primarily as a reading specialist. Most recently, I served as a primary school learning specialist at Lowell School in DC. In these positions, I have worked with both faculty and students, with a focus on providing instruction to neurodiverse learners and helping to build the self-confidence and independence of all students. I currently live in NW DC with my two daughters (aged 10 and 14), my husband, and our dog Delilah. Outside of school, I enjoy reading, hiking, and practicing yoga. I also love trying new food and always have a long list of restaurants I want to go to!