Personal Description:

I am a 31 year old female looking to help students in the area I love! I am a teacher, wife, and mom! I am a very friendly, positive, outgoing individual that is willing to work with you through any academic struggles. I can be very flexible with my time arrangements and I have a lot of experience in the field.

I graduated from the Concurrent Education program at Nipissing University in June 2015 with my Honours degree in English and Geography as well as my Bachelor of Education. I graduated with my certifications to teach the Junior/Intermediate divisions (Grade 4-10) and have recently completed my Primary certifications as well as Senior English so I am qualified to teach all divisions. I also am certified to teach Drama, Technology Integration and Special Education.

In regards to subject matter, I am very experienced in writing essays and analyzing literature, and I am also thoroughly knowledgable in researching essays, as well as understanding cultural relationships and social issues.

Some of my hobbies are reading, Theatre (I have been in many including Waiting for the Parade, Adrift in New York, Little Women, Nunsense and A Midsummer Night's Dream), dance, and I dream of travelling.

Teaching is my passion, and I would like to help you (your child/ren) succeed!

Tutoring Experience:

I have been very fortunate to have 7 different placements throughout University as well as many volunteer and work experiences. I have worked with all grades as well as in a youth detention centre. These various experiences have helped shape me into a diverse individual with knowledge and management strategies in different areas. I have learned how different age groups deal with stress while working on tests/assignments under pressure, as well as how each student learns differently.

I have been very fortunate to be in situations working with children throughout my life. I have always helped out in my Church's Sunday School as well as Vacation Bible School and the weeklong overnight camp in the summer. I worked as a camp counsellor for the majority of my teen years at various camps and most recently held a supervisor position with City of Barrie Parks and Recreation Department. These camp experiences have ranged from instructing bike camp, canoeing and sports to dance camp, craft camp and theatre.

I have also had experience working with students who have disabilities in my various classrooms, as well as with the Lunch Buddies group where we had lunch and went on various trips with students for Christmas shopping, field trips etc.

Lastly, I had the joy of leading a volunteer club in my favourite area of study: drama AND english! I was in charge (along with three other volunteers) of running a "Shakespeare after School" program for children ages 6-12. After 6 weeks we performed Twelfth Night to the North Bay community- what a success!

These experiences has provided me with the skills needed to engage students and work with all different levels of experience. I have had the opportunity to teach both large and small groups as well as in a one-to-one setting. I believe that my skills acquired in this form of teaching will also be applicable and valuable when tutoring. My passion for teaching as well as my passion for writing and the English language will help me to excite students and not only develop their skills in whatever area they struggle, but also develop their interest and appreciation for the subject matter.

Tutoring Approach:

First and foremost I believe it is absolutely mandatory to speak one-on-one with the student in need of instruction and/or the parent requesting the assistance. Before anything else, I want to establish a comfortable rapport with both the parent and student to ensure there is a mutual respect for one another as well as a desire to learn. I find it is important to meet beforehand and determine what the student likes, how they best learn (hands-on, test, activities etc), their personal goals, the parent's hopes and what you hope to see from me as their mentor.

By listening to what the student wants to accomplish it will be easier to help him/her be engaged in their learning. Furthermore, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the student will help tailor a more efficient lesson plan for me to ensure the student receives exactly what they need.

My approach to tutoring is to promote independent learning by having the student take control of their learning environment. I aim for students to develop a deep understanding of concepts and develop self-confidence. My approach may vary depending on the student, but I always aim to have an engaging, motivating and educational learning environment.

I believe that working as a team, we will find out how the child learns best and works with tactics that are easiest and most efficient. I encourage the use of manipulatives such as hands-on tools, visuals, whatever helps the child best understand the learning in order to encourage stronger comprehension.

Ultimately, my approach to tutoring is providing students with the knowledge and skills to be able to thrive on their own without additional support. I am huge on positive reinforcement and using goal setting as a method for student to be able to see their progress over time. As my own personal goal, I like to create a mutual timeline with my student to give feedback, any sort of assessment he/she may desire to see their improvements. I believe that as a tutor, the goal is for the individual to receive the support and assistance needed that a traditional classroom cannot provide due to the high numbers and inability for one-to-one support; that way, the student will be caught up and on track in no time!