Susan Jean Smith is a licensed insurance agent and educator currently working as a remote, in-home tutor for K-10 students through Educational Tutorial Services. A graduate of Ball State University, Ms. Smith holds an Associate of Arts in arts and humanities and earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education in 2005. Committed to becoming the best educator she can be, she has completed extensive graduate-level coursework in differentiated instruction, curriculum design, and STEM integration through Indiana Wesleyan University, and hopes to attend Grace College or Purdue University’s postgraduate instructional design program in the coming years. A versatile educator, Ms. Smith has been a full-time tutor and long-term substitute teacher in all major subjects since 2014, with assignments including teaching seventh- and eighth-grade language arts at Southwood Junior-Senior High School and Indiana Gear Up, and four years as a private tutor at Wyzant Tutoring.
Ms. Smith’s teaching career began in 2005 as a substitute teacher for Peru Community Schools, and she was hired as developmental therapist for AWS of South Bend, Indiana, the following year. She became a full-time instructional assistant for Peru Community Schools from 2007 until 2009, and spent the 2013-2014 academic year as a direct support professional for the Eastern School Corporation and a substitute teacher in the Logansport, Eastern Howard & Kokomo School Corporation. After a year as a childcare provider at the Noblesville Athletic Club, Ms. Smith accepted her current position with Educational Tutorial Service, where she continues to enthusiastically support learners with creative, scaffolded instruction techniques that reinforce in-classroom learning and take advantage of the opportunities provided by virtual and “webinar” style instruction.
Describing herself as an educational advocate, Ms. Smith explains that she hopes to eventually work with other educators and policymakers to impact instructional policy and culture across the United States. To this end, she has worked on behalf of children with CBS; is the former operations director for KinderVision, a nonprofit serving children and youth; a volunteer for the Northern Indiana Community Foundation; and a member of the board of Agriculture in the Classroom.
In addition to her career in education, Ms. Smith is a licensed insurance agent for United Healthcare, where she is recognized as a strong and well-rounded marketer with a talent for lead pickup and recovery. She was named a Premiere Gold Agent and is a two-time winner of the Top Sales Award for Northeastern Indiana for United Healthcare. Ms. Smith attributes her success in the insurance industry to her health care background, drawing on the skills and expertise she developed while working as an activities director for Aperion Healthcare, and to her integrity. She emphasizes that client satisfaction, honesty, and ongoing service are her priorities with United Healthcare, and is proud to have been able to maintain successful careers across industries.