ELA Adventures With Amy!

When working with new students and getting to know them, I begin by determining where they are in the academic areas of concern. I find out what they already know (the comfort level), what they are currently working on (the challenge level) and what they are struggling with (the frustration level). We take the components in the challenge area and practice them. Simultaneously, we break down the parts in the frustration level to understand them and assimilate them into the challenge level material. The student receives a lot of guided practice and feedback until he or she is able to complete the material independently. 

I have a Master of Education degree from Xavier University, 1994, in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Miami University, 1986, in Oxford, Ohio.

I have taught music in both private and public schools, with my last post at The Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati. I taught math for two years to high school students through a homeschool program known as Providence Extension Program, and all subjects for two years to sixth graders in another homeschool program known as Classical Conversations. I taught a kindergarten class in an Ohio public school, providing at-risk students with extended learning under Ohio's Title I program. I have also taught people of all ages through a ten year private music lesson venture. I tutored children of all ages in all subjects with Sylvan in Mason, Ohio.

Most recently, I taught children ages five through sixteen English as a second language through an online teaching platform for children in China. 

I charge $25 for a 30-minute session. Based on my experience, it is best to keep sessions to thirty minutes for young children and allow the new concepts to become assimilated by students rather than covering large ground at once. Academic material is best absorbed in smaller chunks with time for the mind to practice and accommodate the new information.

I began teaching music in the public schools right after earning my Bachelor of Music Education degree. Four years later I began my Master of Education degree and substitute taught while working on that degree. 

I have worked with students of all ages - from three years old up to 70 years old. I have taught people of all abilities and many with disabilities. I have worked with autistic children, children with reading disabilities, and children with whom English is not their first language. I have enjoyed many rich and rewarding successes with all my teaching experiences. 

In the past year and a half, I have written a book. It is a juvenile fiction for the middle-grade reader and I am in the process of revising and formatting it for publication. This book is a joy to work on and I am looking forward to writing more. 

Obviously, students need to find a teacher who is knowledgeable, but it is important to find a teacher who the student is comfortable with. This leads to building trust. When a student needs knowledge, they are in a vulnerable position with a teacher - they need someone who can guide them with respect, trust, and joy. 

I would also like for students to understand that they are capable of achieving great things, but it is a process. They need to be prepared to take things in small steps. Students can celebrate each achievement along the way, and before too long they will see how far they have come. 

The learning process involves not only the passing down of knowledge, but also the skills of the learning process itself. I can teach this skill alongside the material to be taught. It involves using the terminology of the material, and the ability to specify the areas of concerns. For example, students will sometimes simply say "I don't get it". Together we can work on determining what "it" is, and then relate it to something the student does understand. 

It is also very important that even if the student does not know exactly how to ask a question, we should not have "floating question marks" in our minds. All questions and concerns need to be addressed. I encourage students to ask, ask , ask!