I have just finished my 18th year of private tutoring! I have privately tutored my own children for 18 years as their home school teacher, and I have been tutoring through WyzAnt for the last 26 months. I am now working with my 32nd WyzAnt student!
Although I have taught or tutored most K-8 subjects, my specialty is Spanish. I began learning the Spanish language when I was fourteen years old, and I continued to formally study this language for five years--even during the early part of my undergraduate studies. Since then, I have continued to informally study Spanish, both through wonderful online resources and through personal relationships with Spanish-speaking individuals. These relationships have enabled me to maintain and to improve my use of the Spanish language.
I have become familiar with the Spanish curricula being used at the Naperville 203 and 204 high schools; at Rosary High School in Aurora; and at Benet Academy in Naperville. While most teachers at the high school level use a standard text book approach, some teachers at these schools use an immersion approach: the teacher will only speak to the students in Spanish. This can mean that the needed grammar foundation is lacking. In this case - and in any other - I can help to fill in the gaps.
While covering the basics, I will push your student to talk in Spanish as much as possible - even with the limited vocabulary of a 1st year student. Your student will have to spend a large portion of the tutoring session practicing his oral Spanish skills. I will often ask your student to "teach" me a concept in order to solidify his understanding of a concept and to reveal his true level of understanding. Furthermore, I will challenge him to become a true learner, to seek mastery, rather than to simply learn enough to pass a test. I will also teach and demonstrate mnemonics (memory devices), whenever possible, so that your student can learn more effective ways of learning and of preparing for tests. Finally, I will also direct your student to some wonderful online resources for further study when needed.
During the course of these tutoring sessions, I will communicate openly and regularly with you, the parent, about each tutoring session and about how your student is progressing. I will highlight your child's strengths and successes whenever possible, because it is often very difficult for parents to see beyond the weaknesses of a struggling student. I want to help you become your child's number one cheerleader. Together we can help your student to move forward and to reach his/her potential!
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