Academic support to help students find independence, confidence, and joy in learning.

How we work together

It is impossible to learn when we are feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and flooded by school, and students often find me in this emotional state. I teach students by combining a variety of practices with the goal of the student learning both academic content and the deep knowing that they can do it with focus and a positive mindset. We set goals and develop an action plan together, and then get to it. Depending on the goal, we play games, practice strategies to make retrieving information more efficient, and work through projects, structured writing, problems, and activities that push students at the level they are ready for. As I bring student’s attention to what they can accomplish independently, students feel successful in their work and gain confidence. With this confident, growth-mindset ready to go, students can accomplish more than they imagine.

Independence

I guide students to work through challenges as independently as possible because that is where their learning happens. I also know that students often need the right question or piece of feedback to refocus their efforts before frustration overwhelms them. I have the experience and desire to find that balance with each student so they see that they have the power and resources to direct their own learning. As students progress, we take the important step of self-reflection to notice how (and why!) there has been strong progress. In this way students see how they are working more and more independently, and are ready when it’s time for them to move on without me. My goal is always for my students to learn the content and learn the study skills so they can work independently.

Fun

Learning is fun, yet many of the students I work with have lost that joy. When I work with students I help them find the joy of learning by listening to them, giving them work that is accessible and challenging, and ask them questions to guide them in connecting the work to their lives. Students leave their sessions with me with comments like, “it’s over already?” “that was fun,” and “in tutoring I always feel like I can do it.” Successfully meeting goals, playing games, and feeling known and listened to by a trusted guide is a recipe for fun in learning. I see my students smile and laugh when we’re together, and I’m glad that they report that our sessions feel fun.

Games

My students and I use a lot of games because:

Games often allow for practicing more than one concept (for example, multiplying fractions and multiplying whole numbers), students have the opportunity to celebrate what they do know while challenging themselves with a concept that is still tricky. In this way games can increase confidence.
Games allow students to practice and display multiple tools of being a learner, such as logic, creative thinking, strategy, organization, and communication, in addition to the specific content we are targeting. It is important for students to learn the skills of being a student with the academic content.

What I offer

One-on-one individualized tutoring: I work with students for a varying amount of time, with sessions lasting anywhere between 15 minutes and 60 minutes depending on the student, goals, and plan, on:

Writing (sentence and paragraph structure and the five-paragraph essay)
Reading fluency and comprehension
Executive functioning and organization
Math (adding to 20 through Algebra 2)

Math Programs (1-on-1): Designed for students who want review and practice in one specific area with intense focus:

Fact fluency: Addition and subtraction within 20
Multiplication and division (2-digit and 3-digit)
Fact fluency: Multiplication and division
Fluency with factors and multiples
Fraction equivalents and operations with fractions

Math camp: small group intensive work with similar-aged pairings and a specific content focus that meets daily for five sessions over one week.

Where I work: I tutor students remotely and in-person. Through these experiences I’ve seen that students and I can develop relationships and support learning journeys through an online platform in a way that is authentic, connected, and exciting.

Communication: I welcome regular, on-the-fly communication with my student’s caregivers and teachers, and typically send out more formal updates monthly.