I have been working as a tutor of math and reading for the past six years. I currently have 21 students ranging in grade from Kindergarten to college. All of my students are at different levels of learning regardless of their grade. Some are above grade level, and there a few that are below their current grade level. My students have a variety of learning styles, and some even have certain limitations that affect their leaning. I am constantly researching and looking for new methods and ideas of reaching my students and providing them with tools they can grasp and use in their own classrooms. I have my degree in Elementary Education, but I have chosen this route of teaching because every day I see students struggling just to keep up. Many have fallen so far behind they just simply do what they can to make it through the day. These are the students I grab hold of and try to make a difference in their lives.
I use a lot of repetition and Guided Discovery with my students. Repetition increases the students ability to perform the skill, as well as their confidence. Most of my students are struggling and confidence is a big issue for them. With Guided Discovery my goal is for the student to discover his or her own mistake, and for them to understand the mistake and be able to make any necessary changes. I also try to incorporate some type of game for whatever skill we are working at the time. They LOVE this! They are learning, but it is fun. Usually, by the time we have finished the game they have mastered the skill.
I have had three of my own poems published. However, my main focus these days is to teach, and I am awarded every time my students are successful. I don't get a certificate, a plaque, or recognition, but my students' successes grant me more satisfaction than any of those items can provide. I am proud of my kids and every milestone that they make, no matter how small.
I graduated with honors from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. I teach math and reading to students ranging from elementary level through high school. I also teach reading to students with Dyslexia.
I am married and have a 19 year old daughter in college. I have a messy office because I am so busy working and doing lesson plans that I have no time to clean and organize. I am originally from New York, spent four years stationed in Hawaii as an E-4 in the Army, and now live in Kentucky. The Army afforded me experiences I would have never experienced- including a free college education.