Dear Parents and Students:
I spent more than 13 years in an elementary school classroom teaching various grade levels from K - 8. As an elementary school teacher I was responsible for preparing and presenting all lesson plans and lessons for each subject. My students regularly achieved end of grade test scores that placed them in the upper percentile for their grade. My focus, as both a classroom teacher and later as a tutor was to help each child find their logical starting point for the subject and then begin building upon what was already understood so that each child started from a strong position and moved forward without frustration.
While in the classroom, I was honored to work with children who had experienced failure and frustration with the traditional learning process. These children taught me what they needed from me in order to succeed and together we created programs and learning opportunities that enabled every child to become a successful learner. One method was the, "Nothing less than a 100" policy. This meant that no work went home with a grade less than a 100, to earn this grade students corrected their papers until all of the work was correct and they could proudly display an A+ on their paper. The wonderful result of this method was that students did not remember the do overs but did benefit from the victory of getting a 100 while they laid the ground work for future learning. Success at this basic level set the stage for continued success as the work got progressively more difficult. Once students realized they could be successful, they lost their fear of failure and were able to perform on grade level and beyond.
In addition, I hold an MEd in Educational and Developmental Psychology from Boston College. My work as a psychologist allows me to help students obtain a more positive view of themselves and the world around them as they learn to take a more pro-active approach to their lives.
I look forward to working with your children and helping them succeed at every level.
Marcia
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