Background
I graduated from Ursinus College, a small liberal arts school in Eastern Pennsylvania, with a BS in psychology and a teaching certificate. I began my career in a Bethesda, Maryland middle school teaching social studies and math. A move to Madison, Wisconsin forced a career change, and I became a systems engineer for IBM. I exchanged IBM for a career as a full time Mom, a hiatus that lasted over ten years.
Being a full time parent is hardly removed from schools and education. I was active in parent organizations through our kids' schooling and organized and taught math enrichment at our local elementary school.
When my three kids were in Middle and High School, I began private math tutoring. It was in that capacity that I noticed something curious. The kids I tutored “got through” the test or course, but didn’t really seem to greatly improve their overall school performance. I became aware that there is much more to becoming a competent, self-sufficient student than subject matter proficiency.
That realization led me on a four-year long journey exploring how people learn and how they don’t learn. I took a master’s in Educational and Psychological Studies at Hayward State University and a two-year post graduate certification in Education Therapy from UCSC.
The graduate programs rounded out my education emphasizing the understanding of the cognitive processes and psycho-social components that shape a student’s success in learning. I was also extensively trained in assessment, using both formal standard instruments and informal diagnostic techniques.
I began working with younger kids, but soon found my niche was with high school students. I really enjoy working with teenagers and appreciate their unique challenges. Also, by the time teenagers reach me, they are usually very motivated. They understand that school is not going well for them and are frustrated by not knowing why.
High school students need a much different approach than would be appropriate for younger children. The opportunity for remediation is minimal; it’s now a matter of figuring out what is “going on” and developing strategies to compensate for areas of weakness and maximize areas of strength. I am less concerned with getting my students “through biology” than I am with helping them develop student skills and learn to be self-starting problem solvers. Sometimes specific tutoring is needed, but the end game is a young adult who knows how to organize, how to study and is confident in his abilities as a student.
