Jaer Armstead- Jones

Jaer Armstead-Jones has been a middle school English teacher in the St. Louis area since 2007 (known as Mr. Jarrod Jones). He earned a bachelor’s degree in media communications from Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri, and a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Phoenix. 

Throughout his teaching of reading and writing, he has always had a burning desire to write books for middle grade and high school teens that they can relate to, find enjoyment in, and books that are alluring to keep them in a state of suspense. My Invisible Father is his first novel. He has also written for a local St. Louis newspaper as a reporter/writer covering stories from politics, to sports and education, to business.

Jaer has worked with teens in a number of capacities since 1993: as a youth minister, in 2004 as a youth facilitator at a juvenile correctional facility, and in 2007 he started his teaching career at Brittany Woods Middle School in University City, Missouri, and in 2016 at Hixson Middle School in Webster Groves, Missouri.

In 2015, he began working at the St. Louis County Public Library as a librarian. Jaer’s thoughts on being a librarian: “Working at this library is the absolute best part-time job ever, especially for a wanna-be writer like me.”

Jaer was a high school basketball player at University City High School and earned a full scholarship to Harris Stowe State College in 1988. He went on to finish his basketball career at Webster University. He coached middle school and high school basketball for ten plus years. He even officiated grade school, high school, and men’s basketball leagues for several years. 

He also has been in a hip-hop group and managed one as well. He uses his knowledge of music and infuses it with his novels. Along with his novel My Invisible Father, he has produced an EP album titled Invisible to accompany the book.

Jaer lives in a suburb just outside of St. Louis with his wife and daughter. He also has three grown children.