Dole Academy
About
With my service, you will receive individual attention. Unless specifically requested, there are no groups. Every lesson is tailored to your exact needs.
Once your lesson is over, I won't wait until your next lesson to think about your needs. Between lessons, I will review your homework and consider the best way for you to progress toward your goals. This is when I create a plan for your next lesson.
I'm always available to you. In a perfect world, all your questions would be answered during your lesson and you wouldn't have any more questions until your next lesson. Of course, that's not the way it really happens. Maybe you forget something we talked about. Or something comes up in class you don't understand. Or you can't apply what you learned during class once you get to school. Or hundreds of other possibilities. I am available online for 1 hour everyday to answer any questions. In addition, you will have my e-mail address and my phone number to contact me between lessons! FREE!!!!!
Unless I'm providing yearly homeschooling, my overall goal will always be to "work myself out of a job." "She's been my student for 5 years" is not a compliment to me. Along with teaching academics, I'll also teach academic independence. The majority of my students are with me less than one year. At this point, they no longer need ANY tutor or outside help.
I've been teaching over 35 years. In that time, I've taught in public and private K-12 schools, college, pre-school, privately one-on-one, and have helped run an after-school program. I love helping others learn.
The most rewarding part of teaching for me is being able to help someone achieve an "A-HA" moment, especially when it's something that has always been a struggle. Everyone experiences these moments slightly differently, but everyone becomes excited to finally be able to grasp something new.
I'm the owner and lead teacher at Dole Academy. Dole Academy has been selected for the Saint Peters Small Business Excellence Award based on service to our clients and our community every year since 2016. In addition, Dole Academy enjoys an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
When a new client contacts me, we begin by having a brief phone conversation so I completely understand any difficulties and can answer any immediate questions.
Next, we'll schedule a FREE, no-strings-attached online consultation. The consultation generally lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. During the consultation, we'll discuss the difficulties you see in more detail, your goals for the learner, and any other information you can add to help guide learning.
Either during the consultation or immediately after, there will be a brief FREE assessment of the learner. The results of the assessment give me a better insight into strengths and weaknesses.
I will then prepare a learning plan designed specifically for you and the learner. It will have detailed sections with all the information you provided as well as beginning steps to reach your goals.
Finally, we'll schedule a FREE introductory lesson. This lesson will occur AFTER the learning plan is prepared and is designed to be as close to a normal lesson as possible. This will give you and the learner an opportunity to determine if we are a good "fit".
-When this process is followed, you won't pay anything or make any commitment until after the FREE introductory lesson.
-When this process is followed, all lesson activities have a specific purpose and are planned to move the learner toward his/her specific goals. No lesson time is used for me to determine what needs to be done.
-The entire process can be accomplished in less than one week. This means you can be on your way to productive and meaningful lessons in less than 7 days!!!
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a Bachelor's of Music Education degree from the University of Missouri and a Master's of Elementary Education degree with a specialization in reading development from Southern Illinois University. In addition, yearly I complete online courses in Pre-algebra and Algebra I. I hold a teaching certificate in music and classroom teaching K-6. I've taught music (K-8) in public and private school for 10 years, first grade in public schools for 10 years, and privately (one-on-one) for 35 years. In addition, I've taught college, pre-school, homeschool, and have helped run an after-school program.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
PRE-PAID ONLY
1-4 hours per week: $60/hour (2 different students from the same household at one hour a week each = 2 hours)
5-9 hours per week: $50/hour
10-14 hours per week: $40/hour
15 or more hours per week: negotiable
How did you get started teaching?
One of my first part-time jobs happened to be at my local YMCA. I was a lifeguard and swim instructor. I'd done a little peer tutoring when I was in school, but this was the first time I actually got to teach something. I enjoyed the process of breaking swimming down into small, achievable steps. I also enjoyed seeing the tremendous progress of the new swimmers. I'd been on the job about 4 years when it was time to declare a major in college. It was an easy decision.
What types of students have you worked with?
The youngest child I've taught was a five-year-old girl and the oldest was an 87 year-old-man.
The 87 year-old was very hard of hearing and almost blind. He wanted to learn how to use his computer. I've also worked with children with autism, asperger's, and sensory processing disorder.
I've taught many subjects. 35 years ago, I taught flute and music theory. I no longer teach music. More recently, I've taught beginning computer use, study skills (time management, test preparation/study, organization, taking notes...), basic math/elementary math, pre-algebra, algebra I, and English/Language Arts (grammar, phonics, reading, writing...).
Currently, I'm an online teacher and only teach K-8th grade. Subjects available are math through Pre-Algebra and all levels of English/Language Arts.