Do you ever find yourself thinking,
My child needs help in school, but isn’t getting everything he needs from his time at school.
I’d like to help my child learn better, but I don’t know where to begin.
How do I prepare my child for upper grades without getting overwhelmed?
How can I build my child’s confidence in their schoolwork?
Every teaching idea I see online is time consuming or expensive.
Is it possible for me to homeschool? How do I begin?
If so, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re a busy parent of preschoolers, a professional with children in public school, or an aspiring homeschool parent, you love your children and want what is best for them. You’re here because you care about your child’s education and future.
For 12 years I was a classroom teacher.
I taught in private schools. I saw children struggle.
I taught in public schools. I saw children struggle.
I would see struggling learners make some gains and improvement, but I never had the time in the classroom to help as much as I wanted.
Eventually, I had my own child. I desperately wanted to stay at home with him and not teach full time. However, I needed to remain employed several years longer.
I told myself that I would make the most of the time I did have with him during the evenings, weekends and summer.I made ways to work in teaching him letters and numbers, reading and counting into our on-the-go lives--learning from the environment around him and taking advantage of daily opportunities.
By the time our second son was born, my husband and I made a way for me to stay home with our baby and four year old. We sacrificed the salary I had been making. We cut bills. I considered tutoring for extra money, but I had no idea how I would do that with an infant.
Three months after I left my teaching position, a neighbor reached out to me for help with her first grader who needed to get past some rough spots in his reading. How could I say no when this child needed help? I agreed to 45 minute sessions because I wasn’t sure if my baby could go an hour without me or without crying. We made it work. The little boy came week after week right after his mom got off work. He came during the summer and into the next school year, and both parent and teacher saw amazing progress. I was able to have better parent communication than I had ever had as a classroom teacher. The parent felt empowered as I guided her on how to best her child during the time she had with him.
It wasn’t long before I was helping more children through my one-on-one sessions for longer than I had ever been able to work with a child as a full time teacher. I was able to see growth and progress like never before.
I conferenced with parents at the end of each tutoring session. I encouraged. I listened. I answered questions.
I kept notes.
I emailed teachers.
I prescribed what the parent should do at home between tutoring sessions.
It was a magic triangle with open communication: parent--teacher--tutor
It’s been 6 years since then. I’ve had one more baby and many more tutoring students.
What a blessing to see these children grow. What a blessing to get THANK YOUs from the parents and announcements that their child has made the honor roll. I have felt honored and proud of these children when they go from hating reading to not being able to put a book down.
These last six years I have helped many local parents with advice and guidance in their child’s education. I know there are more people out there who I can help. People like you.
You love your child. You want what’s best for them. You want a great educational experience for them. Let me guide you with my experience and strategies so that you have the tools you need to make a real difference in your child’s education.
After all, you are your child’s most influential teacher.