About
All my life, I struggled with school. I was bullied but also had a hard time getting educated. I also was unable to attend school for the fourth grade due to unfortunate circumstances. After my sophomore year of high school, I transferred to an alternative school, where I thrived and flourished. Because I struggled my first two years, I barely graduated high school and was told I would have to repeat my senior year. I decided to prove everyone wrong.
I ended up graduating and transferred to my local community college where my grades were the highest they had ever been since elementary school. I went from barely graduating high school to receiving straight A's with the occasional B. My whole life I dreamt of transferring to the University of Washington, but was always told I would not due to my struggles with school. I am proud to say that I have been accepted and will be transferring in the fall where I will major in psychology and minor in business.
My services stand out because I understand what it is like to struggle. I understand what it is like to feel disappointed in myself and make others disappointed in my grades. I know what it is like to feel like I just was not "good" at school. I also know that not every student learns the same. Because of my struggles and my successes, I am able to connect on a deeper level with my students and speak into their lives, wether that's just letting them vent or helping with school. I play a much larger role than just being their tutor. Although there is a professional boundry I must respect, I am friendly and make sure they are in the right mindset to learn.
The thing I enjoy the most is when a student opens up to me; when they begin to share their fears and struggles and really trust me with that information, wether that's to intervene with a serious problem, just listen, or help them in the position I have in their life. I enjoy watching them grow and see what they struggled with at the beginning of my time with them and watching their transformation to completely crush the topics they did not understand well. I love seeing the "lightbulb" moment.
One thing I do is make some sessions very self-orientented. By this I mean that I purposely let them struggle. Not because I just don't "feel like" helping them, but because we do not learn without struggles. After helping them extenstively and essentially holding their hand, I slowly let go until they are able to do it on their own. I don't neccesarily give them tests, but once I see they are able to do the work they once struggled with all on their own, then that means they are ready to move onto the next subject. This is when I see that the "lightbulb" is shining big and bright.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Before actually tutoring a new student, I like to have a first initial meeting. This is not a paid meeting. This allows me to meet the parents and the prospective student so that they both can put a name to the face and become more comfortable with me. During this meeting, I introduce myself and get to know both the parents and student. I also ask questions regarding what topics and other help they need covered. From there, I explain my process so that neither the parent or student are "blindsided" and understand how everything works with me. From there, we discuss rates and meeting days/ times. Lastly, I have the parent sign a contract and email them a copy.
The first three to four weeks are slow, and parents should not expect results. During my time with my students, I listen to their struggles and pinpoint their problems area, giving them resources and lessons to tackle the subjects they are struggling with at the time. I will begin by "holding their hand", but as we continue in the topic at hand and I notice progession, I will slowly let go and begin to have them do work on their own. Of course they will struggle when doing some work on their own, but this is usually where most of the learning occurs and the "lightbulb moment" occurs.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I graduated with my diploma from Bainbridge High School in the summer of 2016 then continued my education the following fall at Everett Community College. In fall 2018, I will be transferring to the Univeristy of Washington where I will be majoring in psychology and minoring in business.
I have been a tutor for two years and have tutored all ages from fourth graders to 42 year old's going back to school get the next degree needed for their career "ladder." I am currently working on becoming a fully certified tutor.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I currently price $20 per hour. I am willing to travel to my students, but I do not meet students in their homes. I only meet with them in public spaces, such as libraries or coffee shops. This is for safety but also for liability reasons for all parties involved. If I am traveling, based on the distance, I do charge a flat rate in addition to the hourly rate (for example, if I am tutoring for one hour and I must travel 15 miles, I will include a flat rate of five dollars (another example), so your total cost for that session would be $25).
I do require all payments to be made before the session begins. I accept cash, check, and online payments via Venmo or Paypal.
How did you get started teaching?
I began teaching by realizing that I beat the odds in terms of school and realized that there are other students out there like me. I decided to become a tutor to offer insight and help to those that struggle as well as build a personal connection so I can assist them even more. I wanted to show other students that just because they are receiving "bad" grades does not mean they are inadequate, not good enough, or simply not cut out for school. Each student learns differently and at different paces, but each student can succeed in their own ways.