Jed Schneider
Nature-Based Learning Assistant
I hold a Master’s degree from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, where I focused on Latin American Studies. Currently, I am pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching at the University of the Cumberlands. I am also TESL-certified through the University of Washington in Seattle. My undergraduate studies were completed at Northland College, where I earned a B.A. in History with a minor in Art.
After a long career in the corporate world, I’ve returned to the field of education with gratitude and energy. Teaching has always been a meaningful part of my life. During the summers in college, I supported myself financially as a private Spanish tutoring and in the winter I was ski instructor to many numerous younger skiers. Pizza Wedge! After earning my undergraduate degree, I traveled West and earned my TESL certificate from the University of Washington, Seattle and then tracked straight south and spent a year in Chile teaching English to native speakers. I especially loved working with younger students—their energy and curiosity mirrored my own and made each class feel vibrant and full of possibility. When I returned to Louisville, I initially enrolled in the Spanish Master’s program at the University of Louisville with plans to continue teaching and perhaps return to South America. However, I was later accepted into the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, which led me down a different path for a time. Now, I’ve come full circle—returning to the classroom with a deep appreciation for the power of education and a commitment to making learning joyful, accessible, and meaningful for all students.
I’ve chosen Progressive Education as my platform for teaching because it aligns deeply with how I believe children learn best—through curiosity, exploration, connection, and purpose. My time teaching abroad and tutoring locally showed me firsthand that meaningful learning doesn’t come from rote memorization or rigid structure. It happens when students are actively engaged, encouraged to ask questions, and given the freedom to connect new ideas to their lived experiences.
Progressive education honors the whole child and prioritizes critical thinking, collaboration, and social-emotional development alongside academic growth. It values the student voice and sees learning as a dynamic, lifelong process—not a checklist of skills to be mastered. After years in the corporate world, I’ve come to value authenticity and adaptability more than ever, and I want my classroom to reflect those values. I believe in creating learning environments where students feel safe to take risks, where their identities are respected, and where they are empowered to co-create the learning experience. That’s the kind of classroom I want to build—and progressive education offers the philosophy and structure to help make that possible.
The integrated outdoor curriculum is essential to me because it reflects what I believe is at the heart of great teaching: helping students connect to the world around them in meaningful, embodied ways. Nature, naturally, engages children—it sparks curiosity, invites movement, and grounds learning in real-life experiences. When we take learning outdoors, students don’t just memorize facts—they observe, wonder, problem-solve, and collaborate. It becomes active, relevant, and joyful.
At Chance School, I’ve seen how outdoor learning nurtures the whole child—emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually. Whether it’s a phonics lesson that takes place with letter tiles on a picnic table, a journal prompt inspired by birdsong, or a math problem solved with acorns and sticks, students are more invested and focused when their bodies and senses are involved. It’s not just a change of scenery—it’s a change in mindset. The natural world invites flexibility, creativity, and calm, all of which help students—and teachers—thrive. For me, the outdoor classroom is not a bonus; it’s a vital space where deep, lasting learning happens.
I love inquiry-based learning because it taps into children's natural curiosity and turns it into meaningful, lasting learning. Rather than simply delivering information, inquiry invites students to wonder, to ask, and to investigate—and that sense of ownership over learning is powerful. When students are encouraged to explore questions that matter to them, they become more engaged, more motivated, and more likely to develop skills that go beyond the classroom.
Even at a young age, students can think critically and creatively when given the chance. Inquiry-based learning helps them learn how to ask good questions, gather and evaluate information, collaborate with peers, and reflect on their thinking—all essential higher-order skills. I’ve seen how students light up when they’re exploring something they care about, and how those moments of discovery build confidence, independence, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. Inquiry isn’t just about finding answers—it’s about building thinkers, and that’s exactly what I want for my students.
How I ‘found’ Virginia Chance school is a question that couldn’t be more perfect for me. I actually found Virginia Chance School when I was just a toddler—or more accurately, my mom found it. She enrolled both my brother and me here for preschool, and even volunteered while we attended. It’s amazing to think that all these years later, I’d be returning—not just as an alum, but as a parent, and now a teacher.
What makes the story even better is that my wife also attended Chance at the same time I did, along with her older sister, who was in my brother’s class. We even have a photo of all of them on the front steps—a sweet and serendipitous piece of our shared history.
Naturally, we sent our own two children here as well. Bowie graduated from 5th grade in 2021, and Sylvie attended through 3rd grade before deciding to join her brother at his new school. That transition was bittersweet—after so many years, I thought my time on the Chance campus had come to an end. So to now be back here as a teacher feels like an absolute joy and privilege. This school has shaped so much of who I am and what I value, and I’m incredibly grateful to now be part of its story in a new way.
Outside of the classroom, I find a lot of joy in spending time in nature—not just teaching about it, but being immersed in it myself. I’m lucky to have a close-knit group of college friends who share that love and keep me outdoors throughout the seasons. Whether it’s making maple syrup, foraging for morels, or ice fishing for walleye, I’m always up for an adventure in the natural world.
Beyond that, I volunteer at a local radio station, enjoy playing tennis, and—if you know me well—you know I’m a dedicated sauna enthusiast. I travel with a mobile sauna, often in search of the perfect spot with fresh, cold water nearby for a brisk plunge between sauna rounds. These experiences recharge me.
After a long career in the corporate world, I’ve returned to the field of education with gratitude and energy. Teaching has always been a meaningful part of my life. During the summers in college, I supported myself financially as a private Spanish tutoring and in the winter I was ski instructor to many numerous younger skiers. Pizza Wedge! After earning my undergraduate degree, I traveled West and earned my TESL certificate from the University of Washington, Seattle and then tracked straight south and spent a year in Chile teaching English to native speakers. I especially loved working with younger students—their energy and curiosity mirrored my own and made each class feel vibrant and full of possibility. When I returned to Louisville, I initially enrolled in the Spanish Master’s program at the University of Louisville with plans to continue teaching and perhaps return to South America. However, I was later accepted into the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, which led me down a different path for a time. Now, I’ve come full circle—returning to the classroom with a deep appreciation for the power of education and a commitment to making learning joyful, accessible, and meaningful for all students.
I’ve chosen Progressive Education as my platform for teaching because it aligns deeply with how I believe children learn best—through curiosity, exploration, connection, and purpose. My time teaching abroad and tutoring locally showed me firsthand that meaningful learning doesn’t come from rote memorization or rigid structure. It happens when students are actively engaged, encouraged to ask questions, and given the freedom to connect new ideas to their lived experiences.
Progressive education honors the whole child and prioritizes critical thinking, collaboration, and social-emotional development alongside academic growth. It values the student voice and sees learning as a dynamic, lifelong process—not a checklist of skills to be mastered. After years in the corporate world, I’ve come to value authenticity and adaptability more than ever, and I want my classroom to reflect those values. I believe in creating learning environments where students feel safe to take risks, where their identities are respected, and where they are empowered to co-create the learning experience. That’s the kind of classroom I want to build—and progressive education offers the philosophy and structure to help make that possible.
The integrated outdoor curriculum is essential to me because it reflects what I believe is at the heart of great teaching: helping students connect to the world around them in meaningful, embodied ways. Nature, naturally, engages children—it sparks curiosity, invites movement, and grounds learning in real-life experiences. When we take learning outdoors, students don’t just memorize facts—they observe, wonder, problem-solve, and collaborate. It becomes active, relevant, and joyful.
At Chance School, I’ve seen how outdoor learning nurtures the whole child—emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually. Whether it’s a phonics lesson that takes place with letter tiles on a picnic table, a journal prompt inspired by birdsong, or a math problem solved with acorns and sticks, students are more invested and focused when their bodies and senses are involved. It’s not just a change of scenery—it’s a change in mindset. The natural world invites flexibility, creativity, and calm, all of which help students—and teachers—thrive. For me, the outdoor classroom is not a bonus; it’s a vital space where deep, lasting learning happens.
I love inquiry-based learning because it taps into children's natural curiosity and turns it into meaningful, lasting learning. Rather than simply delivering information, inquiry invites students to wonder, to ask, and to investigate—and that sense of ownership over learning is powerful. When students are encouraged to explore questions that matter to them, they become more engaged, more motivated, and more likely to develop skills that go beyond the classroom.
Even at a young age, students can think critically and creatively when given the chance. Inquiry-based learning helps them learn how to ask good questions, gather and evaluate information, collaborate with peers, and reflect on their thinking—all essential higher-order skills. I’ve seen how students light up when they’re exploring something they care about, and how those moments of discovery build confidence, independence, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. Inquiry isn’t just about finding answers—it’s about building thinkers, and that’s exactly what I want for my students.
How I ‘found’ Virginia Chance school is a question that couldn’t be more perfect for me. I actually found Virginia Chance School when I was just a toddler—or more accurately, my mom found it. She enrolled both my brother and me here for preschool, and even volunteered while we attended. It’s amazing to think that all these years later, I’d be returning—not just as an alum, but as a parent, and now a teacher.
What makes the story even better is that my wife also attended Chance at the same time I did, along with her older sister, who was in my brother’s class. We even have a photo of all of them on the front steps—a sweet and serendipitous piece of our shared history.
Naturally, we sent our own two children here as well. Bowie graduated from 5th grade in 2021, and Sylvie attended through 3rd grade before deciding to join her brother at his new school. That transition was bittersweet—after so many years, I thought my time on the Chance campus had come to an end. So to now be back here as a teacher feels like an absolute joy and privilege. This school has shaped so much of who I am and what I value, and I’m incredibly grateful to now be part of its story in a new way.
Outside of the classroom, I find a lot of joy in spending time in nature—not just teaching about it, but being immersed in it myself. I’m lucky to have a close-knit group of college friends who share that love and keep me outdoors throughout the seasons. Whether it’s making maple syrup, foraging for morels, or ice fishing for walleye, I’m always up for an adventure in the natural world.
Beyond that, I volunteer at a local radio station, enjoy playing tennis, and—if you know me well—you know I’m a dedicated sauna enthusiast. I travel with a mobile sauna, often in search of the perfect spot with fresh, cold water nearby for a brisk plunge between sauna rounds. These experiences recharge me.
