The Confident "Teacher"

I am truly a teacher at heart! One of my favorite pastimes as a child was playing "school" with my sister and our neighborhood friends. We'd gather up my mom's school books (she's a teacher as well), line up chairs and makeshift desks, and of course, I'd always claim the role of "The Teacher". While I felt strong as the teacher in our little pretend school, I was anything but a confident student in actual school.

 

The "Not So Confident" Student

In elementary school, I was the student who was afraid to raise my hand, afraid to ask questions, and afraid of standing out. This caught up to me in 5th grade. I'll never forget my parents being called in for a teacher conference because I was no longer doing well in my leveled reading group and needed to move down to a "lower" group. The feeling of letting my parents down and disappointing my teacher is still strong in my memory.

 

Moving into middle school brought more reading struggles. I was told I needed to move on from the series of books that I loved so much about "Ramona", the rambunctious little 3rd grader, and start reading books that were more "suitable" for my age. This was devastating as I felt immediately forced to say goodbye to the character I'd known and found comfort in for so many years. Even more impactful was the fact that I knew I couldn't actually understand the books my peers were reading, and I felt like I had to pretend to like those books. Fortunately, I encountered teachers who recognized my struggles and helped me gain skills, strategies, and a renewed love of reading. I then began to shine academically, and my confidence in school grew tremendously.

 

Discovering My Path

During my years in middle and high school, I found myself volunteering in special education classrooms, initially because I had an uncle with cerebral palsy. I admired him for his strength and was inspired by the fact that he never let his challenges hold him back. I found myself realizing that I had a passion for helping others recognize their potential, just as my uncle recognized his own strengths and talents.

 

Academic Background and Teaching Experience​

Ultimately, my experience of growing into a confident student inspired me to pursue a career in education. I headed to the University of Florida to study special education where I earned a Master of Education degree with a specialization in Specific Learning Disabilities and Emotional Handicaps. Later in my career, I earned National Board Certification for middle childhood aged children. I enjoyed a wonderful teaching career of 26 years in Florida and California in both special education and general education settings.

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Throughout my career, I've thrived on getting to know the individual learning styles, strengths, and uniqueness of my students so that I can help them uncover and build strategies that will help them finally "get it". There's nothing quite like helping a student get past their struggles and watching them finally find their confidence. What I've loved most is the opportunity to form genuine, supportive connections with my students while challenging them to reflect on their personal strengths and needs as well as set their own meaningful goals, be they academic or social. 

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The Tutor Today

Today, I still have a tremendous amount of empathy for students who struggle, are afraid of disappointing their parents and teachers, and who just wish they "got it" like everyone else seems to be able to do. I know that success takes strategies, practice, time, and patience. Providing an affirming space for students to grow into their success is absolutely essential to me.

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I’m located in Redondo Beach, CA. However, since I tutor online, I work with students across the United States using a platform called Koala Go. Learning on this engaging, interactive platform is FUN, and my students often forget they are working!

 

While I’m no longer teaching in a physical classroom, I'm committed to lifelong learning. I keep up-to-date with current educational research, attend professional development, and collaborate with fellow educators so that I can provide my students with the very best learning experiences.​