About
I taught middle school language arts for 18 years. I taught 7th and 8th graders in California for 17 years, and I taught 6th grade students for Gwinnett County Public Schools last year.
I earned my Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of the Pacific where I graduated with honors (cum laude). I am certificated to teach ELA in grades 6 - 12, and I recently passed the elementary education GACE exams at the professional level. While I am not yet certified in the elementary grades, I spent 2018-2019 working in a kindergarten classroom and found that I enjoy working with young students as much as I do with older ones!
I am skilled in working with students on reading fluency and comprehension, grammar and conventions, and essay writing, structure, and organization. I can help you or your student reach the desired goals through direct instruction, modeling each concept as I teach it, and offering multiple opportunities to refine and master skills as they are learned.
I have been recognized as a teacher who exemplifies good character, and I led the 8th grade Rigorous Curriculum Design team in creating ELA units that are still used throughout my school district in California.
I currently work with students ranging from pre-school to 7th grade, and you can find me on the Wyzant tutoring platform as well as the Tutors.com website.
What I enjoy most about teaching and tutoring is seeing my students grow in self-confidence as they master new concepts. No one goes into teaching or tutoring for the money; the work itself is the reward. I truly enjoy working with students at all grade levels and competencies, and I always infuse my teaching with humor and compassion.
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Kristie M.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
The first step is meeting to see if we're a good fit. I offer a free half hour Zoom meeting before committing to work together; I think that teacher-student compatibility is very important to a successful tutoring partnership.
At that first meeting, I'll ask what your strengths and weaknesses are and identify specific goals to work toward. If we decide to work together, I'll put together a specific plan to meet those goals that will include assessing current knowledge and skill in the target areas before our first tutoring session. How we proceed from there to achieve your goals really depends on what proficiency level we're starting from.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
* Bachelor of Arts in English from The University of the Pacific (graduated cum laude)
* California Teacher Credential in English grades 6-12 held from 2003-2018
* Georgia Educator Certificate in English grades 6-12 (current)
* Passed GACE elementary educator exams at the professional level in 2019
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
My rates range from $40 - $60/hour. Fees vary depending on the needs of the student and the time I'll need to spend planning for each session.
How did you get started teaching?
I remember one year my parents cleaned out their attic and brought me some old yearbooks and other mementos. Going through them, I found a short paper I had written during career week during my junior year in high school. I had written that I wanted to become an English teacher and work with middle school or high school students. At some point I had lost that vision, and that piece of paper brought it back to me. When I had my daughter, I knew it was time to make a change. I subbed for summer, and was hired to teach at a small K-eight school in the fall of 2001. I stayed at that school, in that same classroom, until I moved back to the Atlanta area to be closer to my family in June 2018.
What types of students have you worked with?
As a classroom ELA teacher, I primarily worked with students in grades 6-8 at various ability levels and from many different backgrounds. I also worked with kindergarten students during the 2018–2019 school year.
Since becoming a full-time online tutor, I have worked with students as young as three and as old as 26! Several of my students are struggling readers, but I also offer support in paragraph and essay writing, grammar, vocabulary, standardized test preparation, and spelling.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
My adult daughter came to visit me from California. We rented a "tiny house" in the mountains and spent the day hiking. I got to be with my favorite person in my favorite setting; what can be better than doing what you love with someone you love?
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
My advice is to find a teacher with whom you are comfortable and with whom you can freely exchange ideas and ask questions. Any teacher who frowns on mistakes is not a good teacher; making mistakes and learning from them is evidence of a growth mindset.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
What are your strengths in the subject with which you need help? For example, you may be a very fluent reader who struggles with comprehension, or you may comprehend what you read very well but need to work on fluency.
What concepts do you KNOW you struggle with? Sometimes we don't know or can't identify what we don't know, and that's okay. A good teacher will help you figure that out.
What type of assignments have been a struggle for you? (Many students struggle with writing essays, for example, or with identifying a theme in a story.)
What areas have you done well or poorly in on standardized assessments in the past (like the Georgia Milestones, for example)?
What subject do you feel you do "okay" with, but you know with a little help you could master it?