Not only should we learn to live, but I believe we are to also live to learn. Having homeschooled my own children for 6 years, we learned by reading, hearing, feeling, doing, and experiencing. I follow the same philosophy when teaching students in my classrooms. My BA and MS degrees are in Education, Counseling, and Human Development. My teaching experience began when I was in high school as a teacher's aide in a class for children with hearing impairments and has continued in some capacity for MANY years. In the public school setting, my full-time experience includes every grade from Kinders-8th grade, and I have substitute taught classes K-12 as well as special education. Besides being a director of a preschool for children with various and multiple "abilities," I have been a director of a Day Program for adults, also with multiple and significant health, mental, and physical challenges. Most recently, I have taught 4+ years of online Elem/middle school classes including reading, grammar, diction, and pronunciation, public speaking, writing book reports, math, science, geography, and history.
During Sep-Nov. 2020-21, while classes were held two days in person and virtually the other 3 days, I assisted 2 neighborhood children with their studies at home while their parents were at work. By November, the parents realized they were benefitting more from my personal attention and instruction, and hired me to homeschool them for the remainder of the year. In June 2021, the parents were pleased to tell me that each student tested at a step above their upcoming grade level.
All of this to say, my heart is in teaching by connecting with my students, finding their interests and strengths, then using those to work in their areas of struggle. Conversation and feedback are always appreciated to best connect with and serve each student as an individual.