About
I am a fourth grade teacher in Brighton, Colorado. This is my 4th year teaching. My first year I taught 6th grade reading and I'm in my third year teaching 4th grade general education. I have a bachelors degree in Elementary Education and an emphasis in Language Arts. I also have a master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language.
I am truly passionate about working with children and helping students become independent thinkers and learners. It is my goal not only to help my students gain the knowledge they need, but more importantly to gain the skills they need to overcome obstacles in their learning.
I have many resources to help your child grow. I will progress monitor them and inform you of where they are, as well as set goals with them on a regular basis and track our learning!
I love watching students grow and feel more confident about themselves as learners. I want to rid the idea of being "smart" naturally, and encourage learners to view weaknesses as opportunities to grow. Nobody is amazing at everything but we all can be proficient in each subject if we can identify areas in which we need to grow and work hard towards improving in those areas!
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I will give a pre-assessment to gauge where he/she is at in his/her learning. (For example, with math I would give an addition/subtraction test and a multiplication/division test. I will also assess their ability to solve word problems.)
I might also reach out to his/her teacher to see if they have any concerns about skills they need to work on so I can quickly target specific areas of struggle.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language and a bachelor's in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Language Arts.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
For a 1 hour session, I charge $20. This is due to the time I spend preparing for a tutoring session, as I need to find and print resources and prepare what we'll be doing during the hour session.
How did you get started teaching?
My mother is a teacher and since I could remember, I would pretend to teach in her classroom. I originally wanted to teach music like her, but as I continued deepening my understanding of music theory, I realized I might not enjoy teaching music but rather teaching anything. Therefore, I decided to major in Elementary Education so I could teach students of all grades a variety of subjects, rather than focusing on one area of instruction!
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with students who have ADHD, ODD, OCD, and Autism. I have also worked with English Language Learners, students with dyslexia, and students with learning disorders. I have worked with students as young as 4 years old up to studetns in eighth grade.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
A recent event I am fond of is having received my master's degree. I was able to complete my degree in 4 months which was a huge accomplishment for me. I love setting goals and challenging myself, and frugality is important to me as well. I have a lot of student debt I am trying to pay off which motivated the speed at which I earned my masters. I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish by the 4 month deadline, a goal I had strived to meet and might have not met by only a few weeks. Thankfully, I was able to finish in time having my master's for future job opportunities sooner as well as receive my pay raise 6 months earlier than if I had finished any later! It was a huge accomplishment.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
I would recommend they look for a teacher they feel comfortable with who they can trust to support them if and when they make mistakes. They need a teacher who can differentiate for them, meaning a teacher who can recognize his or her strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles in order to create the most meaningful tutoring session possible.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
1. What areas do I want to improve on?
2. What areas do I need to improve on?
3. How much time am I willing to invest each week on the areas I want to grow in?
4. How much money am I willing to invest each week on the areas I want to grow in?