My passion for helping students realize that they, too, can be successful writers and watching the subsequent epiphany they experience when they finally do so are why I have dedicated my life for the past 27 years to teaching writing. Each person is unique and reaches this understanding at his or her own pace, but once they internalize how the writing and reading processes work together to make them better at both, growth, understanding, and advancement occur, and at that point, I simply get out of the way and let them write, turning our attention to revising and editing their writing. I love teaching reading skills and strategies, as well, but my heart will always belong to writing, so much so that I hope to publish some of my personal works soon.

I have experience teaching public, private, homeschool, adult education, and English as a Second Language. I have taught English to students from AP/GT levels to English as a Second Language beginners, with no prior experience with the English language and have had success at every level. I began my education at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas then transferred and graduated from Southwest Texas Station with a Bachelor of Arts in English. I received my Texas Teacher Certificate from University of Texas at Brownsville and my ESL certification through the Texas Education Agency.

I can tutor reading and writing at every level, but will focus for the time being on the middle and high school levels. My teaching philosophy is that every person can learn, and my tutoring style is wholly dependent upon how much instruction and guidance my students require. At first, I will show students what I expect through modeling and mentor texts with plenty of instruction, strategies, and examples; then, together, we move into students applying strategies with guidance until they are ready to work more independently. When students don't need me anymore, I have succeeded. Generally, at this point, they pass their standardized tests and move on with their lives. I'm sad to see them go, but couldn't be prouder.

My interests outside of academia center on publishing my own novels, short stories, memoir, and poetry. I also have a desire to help beginning teachers build confidence with their own teaching and writing skills.