Ellie Jefferson grew up in a small town in Nottinghamshire, England. She graduated from Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln, England with a BA in Education Studies and Applied Drama and an MA in Primary Education, a program that has a heavy emphasis on teaching Phonics and Early Reading. In England, she worked as a live-in Teaching Assistant in a boarding school, then went on to teach Kindergarten in a classroom of her own. This is where she discovered both her love for teaching Early Reading and learning outdoors. In 2018, she immigrated to the US and began teaching 1st Grade in Texas, which included facilitating an inclusive Special Education program. A relocation to Gig Harbor with her husband led Ellie to discovering Gig Harbor Academy and the unique opportunity to draw upon her previous experiences and teaching values to develop a blended K/1st Grade classroom.