"Education isn't the filling of a vessel, but the lighting of a flame." ~ Socrates
Jen Heiner
~ Founder of Rooted & Rising Tutoring
Meet Ms. Jen
I believe children learn best when they feel known, supported, and excited to discover what comes next. As a mom of 11 children, I’ve had a front-row seat to just how differently they grow and learn. I homeschooled five of my children for over ten years, and taught everything from preschool through high school graduation. Working with my own students gave me vital experience working with all kinds of brains; gifted, learning disabilities, ADHD and ASD, as well as speech and occupational therapy needs. Those years taught me that meaningful learning is never one-size-fits-all—and that confidence, curiosity, and connection matter just as much as academics.
My career has carried that belief through classrooms and everyday life alike.
Currently, I teach fourth grade at an amazing hybrid school in Davis county, using a literature-centered program that brings together language arts, math, science, history, and art while supporting students’ social and emotional growth. Previously, I led a whole-child centered classroom of 10–12-year-olds through hands-on projects and simulations. I have also provided small-group reading intervention as a paraprofessional, with additional training in the Science of Reading, phonemic awareness, and classroom interventions and accommodations.
Earlier in my career, I directed the Junior's program at a Commonwealth in Texas, where I developed learning experiences for children ages 3–11, mentored six parent-teachers, and taught a class of young students. I also spent four years teaching veterinary medicine to teens through Texas 4H, and I have run my own homeschool consulting business since 2012. Across every setting, I’ve loved helping families find an approach that fits the child in front of them.
I have found it works best to lead by example, and I, myself, am in love with learning and have no plans to stop. I am currently teaching myself German, and am always refreshing my math skills!. Professionally, I have trained as an EMT, CNA, and am a certified phlebotomist. I am also a certified Birth & Postpartum Doula and Childbirth Educator. These experiences taught me to listen closely, stay calm, notice what may be happening beneath the surface, and care for the whole person. I bring that same attentiveness to every learner—not just to the skills they are building, but to the confidence, needs, and possibilities they carry with them. Most importantly, there is nothing you can't learn when inspiration guides you.
Every child is born with greatness within them; with the right personalized support, the possibilities for their success are endless.
Cormorant Garamond is a classic font with a modern twist. It's easy to read on screens of every shape and size, and perfect for long blocks of text.
"The mentor who shares her love for learning and willingness to submit to the labor that is the process of acquiring mastery, will communicate the value of persevering through difficulties and trusting that ignorance and confusion must ultimately give way to knowledge and understanding."
~ Oliver DeMille
My Teaching Style and Philosophy
After studying educational philosophy for almost two decades, I have collected many different methods and practices, taking the parts I personally believed worked best with many types of learning styles and needs. Some of these methodologies include Montessori, Charlotte Mason, and Thomas Jefferson Education, with much of my foundational approach resting in the principles of Tjed. Mentorship, classics, and inspiring a love of learning are central to my work.
Click to find out more about A Thomas Jefferson Education
Cormorant Garamond is a classic font with a modern twist. It's easy to read on screens of every shape and size, and perfect for long blocks of text.
"Reading is important, because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything."
~Tomie dePaola
What is...
The Science of Reading?
The Science of Reading is built upon The Five Pillars of Literacy:
Phonemic Awareness: The ability to hear, identify, and then manipulate individual sounds (also called phonemes) in spoken words.
Phonics: Understanding the predictable patterns and relationships between written letters and their spoken sounds, allowing students to "crack the code" of written English language.
Fluency: The ability to read a text accurately, smoothly, and with the proper expression, which acts as a bridge to comprehension.
Vocabulary: Understanding the meanings of words and phrases to see the connections between both spoken and written language, and shades of meaning.
Comprehension: The ultimate goal of reading; gaining the ability to extract and construct meaning from different sources of text.
To find out more about The Science of Reading and how it works, click here!
To learn more about this Evidenced-Based method and how the brain learns to read, click here!