Find a Local Tutor Who Gets It

I am planning on receiving my degree in teaching elementary school children, and would love to gain some experience in this field. I am passionate about helping students achieve success and want to pass my knowledge down to our youth. I have worked with elementary students occasionally helping with after school homework and enjoy being able to create success for them. Teaching is my passion and I just want what is best for our society. Once I commit to something I give it one hundred and ten percent, I am a part of a softball organization and am in charge or meetings, scheduling practices and finances, so being prompt is my specialty! I am very organized and committed to my jobs so once I start I am determined to finish.

I have found over the years that I thoroughly enjoy helping people learn/understand new things. My main reason for obtaining a minor in chemistry was to eventually getting a credential and pursue a career in teaching high school chemistry. I believe I am a very approachable person and do not intimidate students from asking for help. I also have the advantage of having an older sister with a background in education and have learned various ways of teaching from her.I obtained the Meritorious Attendance Award in high school for having near perfect attendance for 4 years (I believe there was a period or two missed and not a whole school day). I have only ever called off work for illness which only happened 3 times in the past 4 years.

Teaching is my passion. I was deeply saddened when my District began distrubuting pink slips as I was completing my credential. I would have been formally paid as a teacher at a teacher salary. I used to get paid $18.75 an hour as what was called a credentialed "support teacher". I had my own classroom and I was sent the "low group" of a grade level once an hour to teach or reteach lessons to students that had difficulty wiht particular concepts. Usually in English Language Art, although I am comfortable inMath as well.

I am a fluent Spanish speaker, with good French skills. My studies of advanced film theory at UCSB have given me experience writing complex papers while being held to an extremely high standard. My mother was an English professor, which instilled in me a passion for teaching english, among other subjects.As for reliability, I have helped run an online business for the past 5 years. Being self-employed, I quickly learned that there are no days off, and after-hours work is often necessary. As shipping manager I learned that procrastination is never an option. I enjoy being kept busy, and have recently hired an employee. This allows me time enough to seek secondary employment.

As I mentioned above, my countless hours in the Writing Center at Scripps--both as a tutor and a tutee--have given me the tools to communicate in an effective, productive manner. I feel confident that, in a tutoring environment, I know what works and what doesn't. In my adventures as a writing tutor and dance/yoga instructor, I have worked with those younger and older than myself--and I understand the nuances that arise based on age. Communicating with others and teaching in any form brings me joy--I have done enough of it to know that it is a dialogue, one in which I am learning just as much as the 'student' is. I am organized, reliable, and honest, and I would be proud to work hard for Grade Potential.

I have had a great amount of past experience! In chronological order: I tutored for a third grade class at Kellogg School in 2004, mainly assisting children with reading skills, as many were Spanish-speakingIn 2009, I was a tutor at Santa Barbara City College, and worked with students to improve their pre-college level writing skills.I was a tutor for three different classes.From 2009-2011, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Rwanda, East Africa. I managed over 150 students, teaching English, History, and Health.Currently, I am again a Gateway to Success tutor at Santa Barbara City College. The Gateway Program is set up to make sure that students achieve the proper skills necessary to advance in their college careers. I am tutoring an entire reading skills class. I also currently do private tutoring for a high school student in English and Biology. I am also CLRA (College Learning and Reading Association) Certified, having taken a 10 hour tutor training course.

I would make a good tutor because I am excited about learning and excited about helping others learn. Throughout my academic career I always took pride in helping peers work through problems or concepts they had trouble understanding. From my past experience with tutoring I have seen that "light bulb" moment when something clicks in a student's head for the first time. It feels so good getting to that point and knowing you are helping make a difference in someone's life. I think being confident with school at a young age can go a long way in a young person's life, if they can get excited about learning and have the mental drive to want to do well they will set themselves up for future success. If I can assist just one young person in reaching this confidence and motivation with school through my tutoring, then I'm happy. Also, my mom is a long-time elementary school teacher who prides herself in teaching to her students' interests. There is no one set way to reach students, being adaptable is a key skill in teaching, no matter the subject or level. Over the years of watching my mom work in her classroom and listening to her many success stories I know that one of the first steps in connecting with your students is to engage them in a way that sparks their interests and maintains their focus. As a tutor I would bring these skills along to adapt the subject material to fit each unique student.I can be counted on to be reliable in keeping appointments and fulfilling commitments because of my experience as a student-athlete both in high school and throughout college. As an NCAA Division 1 athlete at UCSB I had to balance my work load with practice times and make sure to keep to a tight schedule. My philosophy is to leave early for appointments, class or practice so that I am not rushed in getting there.

Like I presented before in the prior statement, tailoring the lesson to the individual, allows the student to relax, understand the material at his/her pace, and become more confident in the usual classroom situation. My daughter is presently attending CAVA K-12, and I am her learning coach. I use my techniques with her with great success. She says she really understands the material when I present and explain it. She is currently on the Dean's List and tests quite well. Very importantly, I fulfill my commitments to the best of my ability. You will have no problem with me as to keeping my appointments and working at full potential.