"When I was a child I loved being at school and learning. However, I didn’t want to be a teacher. Instead, I wanted to be a world-famous author. So in college, I majored in English and minored in Journalism, but could not find work after I graduated. In order to survive, I reluctantly applied to work as a tutor in my local school district. At the recommendation of a former teacher of mine, I got the job. As an AVID tutor, I worked with a small group three days a week. At first, it was just a way to make money but grew into something more. The first time one of my students had a “light bulb” moment I was hooked. Now, I specialize in working with students in grades 4-10 in reading, writing, and English language support.

I was lucky enough to be mentored by an incredible teacher during my student teaching internship. Through that experience, I learned many strategies for teaching middle school students. All of my tutoring methods are based on the things I learned there.

Reading: Many students at this level struggle with reading comprehension. Many have trouble answering questions after reading a work or passage. I have a step-by-step method to help students find the correct answers in these situations.

Vocabulary: In today’s society, information is available at the tap on a screen. Many students depend on “looking words up,” but when it’s test time, the tech goes away. I have numerous strategies to help vocab stick in my students’ minds, and yes, some involve playing on educational apps and websites. I just love words!

Writing: At the middle school level, writing becomes a scary task. Students are asked to write in many ways on a variety of topics. I can help. It is important that I let students write their papers and only act as a guide. I will be there through the entire process if necessary or just be a proofreader." less...