"I have been an elementary teacher for 13 years. Most recently, I lived in Southern China teaching English along with other core subjects to a class of fifth grade Chinese students. Before moving to China, I lived in California and taught 4th and 5th graders in the classroom. After school, I worked as a tutor for students from 1st to 8th grade in subjects ranging from history and science to math, reading and writing as well ask working on developing study skills.

I believe it is most important for students to enjoy learning so they are intrinsically motivated. One way I make learning fun is to connect our education to the real world through project-based learning. I challenge students to apply their understanding to solve new problems and think critically. One of my favorite aspects of being a teacher and a tutor is getting students to develop a growth mindset by reflecting on how their effort and resilience leads to success.

My greatest passion when I am not teaching or tutoring is traveling and exploring. Whether it be going to different countries to learn about other cultures to finding adventures near home like hiking and camping trips, I love challenging myself to find new experiences.

Having worked with a variety of curriculums like "Everyday Mathematics" and "Singapore Math" I have developed an excellent understanding of different ways to think about solving problems. I feel it is more important for students to understand why different strategies work than simply how to use a given strategy. I want my students to develop number sense and problem-solving strategies that allow them to look at a problem and analyze what is the most effective and efficient way for it to be solved.

I have four years of experience working with a class of English Learners in China. This has helped me gain a strong understanding of grammatical, phonetic, and spelling concepts that many of us native English speakers take for granted. Students who need support with reading and writing, particularly English Learners, need" less...