Meet JESSICA PEZOLD | Jessica Pezold | Business Owner & Tutor

We had the good fortune of connecting with JESSICA PEZOLD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi JESSICA, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After teaching English in the public school system for four years, I quickly learned that education in the United States has its flaws. In public school, students are placed into increasingly larger class sizes. Larger classes sizes means students get less individual attention, which means they are less likely to comprehend class content.

In a smaller learning environment, especially a one-on-one environment, students aren’t afraid to ask questions about math or literature. They can open up about their confusion, and the tutor or teacher can quickly zero in on the problem and help them effectively improve. I knew that I had the skills to help students in a better way than I could in the traditional classroom.

The thought of being my own boss, setting my own schedule, and effectively meeting the needs of students without all the administrative fluff or classmate distraction seemed highly appealing. In addition, students are online quite a lot in their spare time, which meant that they would be comfortable learning from their personal computers. In school, students don’t always have access or permission to use computers. Limitations like these slow the learning process. I knew I could offer fantastic learning opportunities virtually, and after trial and error, I have been able to make that happen.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My tutoring business is family-owned. My husband and I have a combined total of 16 years of public instruction (and one year abroad in South Korea), so we are unsurprised by the types of struggles that students face. Individual assistance with math and English/language arts is so necessary, yet many parents or students don’t know where to go to seek help. When the pandemic hit, students were academically distanced from their learning environments and had to rely on themselves to figure things out. My husband and I have worked with many students who said they did not fully understand the math content or reading content they were given through their school’s online platform, but they were passed on anyway. Being passed on actually hinders students. Fortunately, we are able to close learning gaps created by pandemic instability.

My favorite part about J. PEZ Tutoring is that we can tutor students both locally and internationally through Zoom. This is more convenient for both students and their parents because students get to learn from the comfort of their own home. They don’t have to rush to meet us at a library, and there is no pressure to open up their homes for us to be there in person. Google drive, IXL, Flipgrid, Quizizz, and other online tools enhance our lessons and are more efficient than shuffling worksheets and textbooks. When working online with us, students converse with our friendly faces and are constantly engaged.

Getting parents to adjust to online learning was an initial challenge, but the safety and convenience of having their students work from home is just too good to pass up. Getting our name out into the world takes time; we are no longer officially connected to a school system, so we rely on word of mouth and social media to be remembered.

With our business, I have learned to simplify our niche and our message. We cannot tutor all content, even though we are tempted to assist students in other subject areas. My husband and I are experts in our field and can provide specialized attention because we are no longer burned out from the traditional classroom.

We want the world to know that we can relate to our students because we still have memories of being in middle, high school, and college, yet we have real-world experience that we love to share with our students. Yes, we teach them math and ELA, but we especially let our students know that we are there to ease their stress and chat about life. We can make our students smarter than their average counterparts, but “smart” isn’t always academically based. “Smart” also means being better informed with life skills and wisdom.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Atlanta seems to be a a growing center of activity; it’s not just a place preserved in Civil War history, although museums and historical markers are scattered throughout this area for the learning and satisfaction of any history buff or lifelong learner.

Friends who visit the city would be thrilled with the options along the Atlanta Beltline. An ideal day would be to begin at Ponce City Market. A pair of walking shoes and an appetite are all you need. Once your car is parked in the PCM garage, tasty and unique food and beverage can be found in the enormous PCM building. Each level has shops and restrooms, but the localized food court is most fascinating because of the diverse array of snacks, real food, and beverage. The lack of standard fast food on this floor is also ideal for foodies, yet this gives picky eaters a change to get out of their culinary comfort zone.

After feasting on the goodies at PCM, visitors can walk southward and pop into New Realm Brewing to grab a tasty craft beer and to get a view of the Atlanta skyline. Further strolling will take visitors past a skate park. They may also see casual bands playing music on the side of the path; listeners can drop donations to them if interested. Dogs, bikes, and skates are allowed, so that would probably appeal to many people. Inman Park is worth a stop for more food and shopping, but the real treat is ending at Edgewood Avenue to drop into Joystick, the arcade bar that has many games that you’d expect, such as Ms. Pacman, and even a few board games for the less intense player. The Georgia Beer Garden is a cool place too, and it’s just across the street.

Other noteworthy places around the Atlanta area are Marietta Square, plus the growing number of breweries all over the city and suburbs, such as Glover Park, Monday Night, Horned Owl, and many more. Breweries are friendly places, especially the ones in Georgia, because they are open to dogs and family members of all ages.

The food and beverage choices in the Atlanta area seem endless!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents first established my love of learning and eagerness for books. My husband, Pepper Pezold, has been a great encouragement at the beginning of J. PEZ Tutoring, and now he is a dependable math tutor and fellow co-worker! When it comes to the setup and improvement of an educational business, I have learned a lot from my mentor, Joanne Kaminski, who also tutors and teaches other tutors how to grow and manage their individual businesses.

Website: https://www.jpeztutoring.com/

Instagram: jpeztutoring

Linkedin: Jessica Pezold

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jpeztutoring

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jpeztutoring