Our Tutors

Sonja S

Teaching Style

My substitute teaching style/capabilities include the following: The ability to follow oral and written directions as instructed from the teacher, establish effective working relationships with staff and students, and maintain effective classroom. Following lesson plans. Creating and maintaining a climate of various learning styles of students. Demonstrating respect and fairness for all students. Applying appropriate consequences for inappropriate actions. Displaying problem solving, cooperative negotiating skills and conflict resolution strategies.

Experience Summary

My substituting teaching experience for the Stanislaus County School Districts will contribute to a successful tutoring job. Teaching capabilities are in biology, chemistry, physics and math. Also, I have recent tutoring experience with Carney Educational Services from March through May last school year. Carney provided tutoring in all subjects and grades from K - 12. Free tutoring was available through the various Stanislaus School Districts.

Katherine K

Teaching Style

My passion is learning and my hope is to inspire in my students a genuine love of learning and to help them gain the skills necessary to become lifelong, independent learners. I believe all children can learn in an atmosphere that is encouraging, supportive and structured in such a way as to challenge without discouraging. I believe in authentic learning and in teaching through discovery. I have acquired many different techniques and tools over the years and have learned that there is no one style of teaching that fits all. One reason I enjoy tutoring is that I can take the time to truly know the student and to help them discover which tools work best for them. I strive to make a difference in each of my student's lives.

Experience Summary

I have been actively involved in the field of education for 26 years as a high school English teacher, an elementary reading teacher, and as a school librarian. My teaching career has been varied, including four years working in inner city public schools, 17 years in an exclusive private college preparatory school, and three years as the Director of library services for youth at risk. I graduated summa cum laude and am a member of Phi Beta Kappa with degrees in English, History, Secondary Education and Library Science and have minors in classical literature, romance languages and philosophy. I am a certified Reading Specialist and have trained with the LindaMood Bell reading program. I have worked as a newspaper reporter and done freelance editing and research for local authors. Over the years I have tutored students from elementary school to graduate school in English, history, research, study skills, composition and reading.

Melissa M

Teaching Style

I believe the keys to teaching any student, young or old, are patience and encouragement. I find that when I demonstrate a pleasant, usually fun, and encouraging environment for my students, they tend to thrive. There has not been a more fulfilling experience for me than to effectively teach a child something that they did not initially have the confidence to learn. My goal is to not only teach them the required material, but to also introduce a learning experience that positively impacts their self-perception. If they believe they can learn anything, they will ultimately thrive in other experiences that require self-confidence, patience, and leadership. The bottom line is that I love to teach, because very few experiences grant me this opportunity.

Experience Summary

From January 2007 to December 2010, I had the significant opportunity to teach for Broward County Public Schools in various education settings ranging from Pre-K to 12th Grade. I have worked at the high school level as a Resource Teacher and Exceptional Student Education Support Facilitator creating Individual Education Plans and working with parents, specialists, and district employees to monitor students’ yearly progress. During the course of my studies in Biomedical Engineering, I gained extensive academic knowledge in Math, as well as Technical Report Writing, Essays, and Research Papers. I have been able to guide students in attaining academic success by tutoring them in various subjects such as Reading, Algebra, Geometry, Language Arts, and Science. My life experiences have also allotted me the opportunity to teach non-academic subjects such as Music Education, Musical Theatre, and Dance. I currently work for a nonprofit organization providing public service educational programs set forth by its mission. Tutoring allows me the flexible opportunity to engage in additional community projects and endeavors.

Katherine K

Teaching Style

Throughout my teaching experience I have encountered students of all ages and abilities, from high school students with learning differences to adult learners of ESL. I believe each student is unique and brings their own set of experiences and strengths to the material to be learned, necessitating an adaptable teaching style. I am experienced in the communicative approach and believe each students learns best through discovery and by utilizing their particular intelligence. I am patient, relaxed and treat each student with respect. I think students learn best when they are having fun and have a trusting relationship with their teacher.

Experience Summary

While working towards my bachelors degree in English (with a minor in Political Science), I worked as a substitute teacher in the public school system for a year and a half, in order to ascertain my affinity for many different levels and subjects. My writing and grammatical skills are excellent; in 2004 I was awarded First Place in Undergraduate Writing at the University of North Florida. My first professional teaching experience complemented my areas of expertise perfectly: I taught English as a Foreign Language to business professionals in Argentina for six months, using the communicative approach. During this time I learned much about South American politics and culture, as well as the Spanish language. Upon return I taught English to high school students for one year at a private school for students with learning disabilities and emotional/ behavioral problems. This summer, I have again taught international students at a Berlitz ESL program, ELS Language Center. Throughout the years I have also tutored and worked with students one on one many times, specifically with rudimentary reading and writing.

Lindsey L

Teaching Style

Everyone will tell you that there are three major types of learning styles: Visual Learners, Auditory Learners, and Tactile/Kinesthetic (hands on) Learners. In my experience as a student and a tutor, most people have a main learning style but actually learn best through a combination of all three. My goal when tutoring is to figure out what each students main learning style is, so I can present the information in a way that they will be academically successful. I use a mixture of Audio, Visual and Hands-On methods. People also retain information best when they teach it to someone else, so I have my students explain to me what was covered.

Experience Summary

I have earned a bachelor degree in Business Administration emphasis in Accounting and a minor in Business Law from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. While earning my degree I tutored at the Learning Resource Center - ASI Peer Tutoring Program. From October 2005 - June 2007, I tutored college peers in Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Computer Information Systems, and Technology & Operations Management. After Graduation I continued to tutor as a private tutor, since I had to be a student to tutor at the Learning Resource Center.

Cynthia C

Teaching Style

Communication and expectations are the top priorities in my repertoire of teaching strategies. I am able to communicate a sense of self-esteem in my students tempered with humor. They know I value them as human beings. In my experience young people are willing to live up to the expectations a good teacher demands. I use a direct, no nonsense approach and have found it extremely successful in all teaching environments.

Experience Summary

After having lived in Germany, teaching ESL in a middle school, I returned to the United States to teach in the Irving Independent School District in Irving, Texas. During that time I taught German, French and Spanish to middle and high school students. Subsequently, I was offered a teaching position for the Department of Dependent Schools, which is managed by the Department of Defense Education Activity. I taught Study Skills and German for three years in the Ramstein area in Germany. I then transferred to the United Kingdom where I taught these modern languages on an air base near Cambridge. Presently I am teaching ESL to businessmen in the Tampa Bay area as a free lance contractor. Having acquired skills in three foreign languages by three different learning methods, I have a good understanding of language acquisition as well as language usage.

Ellen E

Teaching Style

I prefer to focus on a child's strengths, even while teaching a subject that may be considered the child's weakest. I believe finding and integrating strengths promotes learning because it creates positive attitudes and a more productive learning environment. While understanding certain systems or theories is necessary, I think it is sometimes easier for a child to grasp challenging material when they see plenty of examples of the theory at work.

Experience Summary

As a recent graduate, with seven years experience writing in a professional environment, I excel at writing and editing because I understand the system of language, and I pay close attention to detail. I have nearly five years experience working with children in a structured environment, in addition to working with children of various ages as a summer camp counselor. I also hold a certificate with significant training in teaching English to non-native speakers.

Brittany B

Teaching Style

I love teaching children, seeing them learn and discover things for the first time. I also love the challenge of finding different and creative ways to communicate information so that each student can be engaged in a subject and understand the material. I have found that being patient and consistent, expressing clear expectations, and providing immediate and appropriate feedback creates a positive learning environment for academic achievement. It is my desire to provide children with an enriching, memorable learning experience that will teach them not only facts and information, but critical thinking skills and real life applications for real life success.

Experience Summary

After volunteering and instructing summer literacy classes in Clearwater, Florida, I discovered my passion for teaching and children. I pursued an education degree at the University of Florida, where I earned my bachelors in 2009 and finished a masters with an emphasis in literacy and an ESOL endorsement in 2010. I also completed several school placements throughout the program, concentrating in kindergarten, third, and fifth grades. I recently accepted a job teaching in a charter school in Philadelphia. I enjoy working with children of all ages, especially targeting struggling early readers.