About Me
Hi! I’m Jessica!
When I was nine years old I realized there was nothing I wanted more than to be an author. I loved escaping into a good book, and could think of nothing more beautiful than writing those books myself.
Over the next several years, I gave up on that dream for more realistic, predictable professions with steady paychecks and relatively controllable outcomes.
Those jobs always left me wanting something more.
As I got older, I realized there was still a piece of me aching to write. So here I am.
Welcome. I’m glad we found each other!
Upcoming Projects
I’m currently working on another children’s book that will help to fund necessarily medical equipment for an incredible young lady (another awesome project with Rebecca Mawi)!
I’m also SO close to finishing up a first draft of my first fictional novel…a love/grief mother/daughter story. Stay tuned!
My eleventh year of teaching, my building lost 50% of its teaching staff. As I started searching for resources for the 7 new teachers we would be hiring, all I could find were 300+ page textbooks! No one was going to have the time to read that!
This book was my response to the need for something practical and manageable for teachers about to start in a new building. It’s great for new teachers as well as experienced teachers moving to a new district!
Designed as a workbook, Drinking from a Fire Hose provides opportunities to build your teacher support system, create a classroom that feels organized and safe, and get your feet under you in a new position.
What People are saying about Drinking from a Fire Hose
“I think this will be a valuable resource for new teachers. It is practical and realistic. Zimmerman touches on so many of the basic things new teachers don’t know about the logistics of the job. I think the classroom section is fantastic. Again, just practical information that can help someone get started. The tone is very conversational and easy to read. Unlike some of the required reading for new teachers, this book is a quick read and very relatable.” - Kristin A.
“Amazing book!
This is a perfect guide book for any first year or aspiring educator. There are so many words of wisdom and insight shared by current and past educators. Worth every penny! I wish there was a book like this when I started teaching. I bought this for my intern and she loves it.” - Brittani Z.
“This will be an incredible down-to-earth resource for any student teacher or first year teacher! I wish this had been available when I started teaching.” - Doug S.
“Excellent resource for new teachers and anyone looking for redirection.
Sometimes we need a fresh perspective to help us refocus or get ready to teach. This book has a lot of great tips and tricks to be ready and to get excited.” - Kimberly W.
After presenting at one of their weekly meetings, the Cereal City Sunrise Rotary Club reached out to me about partnering with them on their Club’s top priority: raising awareness about diabetes.
While there were a number of children’s books about diabetes, nearly all of them were focused on educating children with diabetes. We decided to take a different approach. We interviewed a number of students with diabetes and asked them, “What do you want other students to understand about your life with diabetes?”
Ben’s Diabetes Journey was the outcome.
The Cereal City Sunrise Rotary Club raised fund to donate enough copies of this dual-langauge book (how fun to get to use my Spanish experience to make the story more accessible!) to every 3rd grade student in Calhoun County. Plus I got to work with one of my all-time favorite up-and-coming illustrators, Rebecca Mawi!
To date, copies of Ben’s Diabetes Journey have been read and gifted to over 1,000 students.
100% of the proceeds from this book go to supporting the continuation of this program.
