High-Performance Coaching in Academics & Voice / Performance!

Holli W.

ADHD

As a first grade teacher, I was exposed to children diagnosed with ADHD. One of my ADHD students was deemed to be at a capability level that would have generally demanded the presence of a paraprofessional in the classroom to help me teach this child. Because I worked at a charter school with limited funds, no full time help was assigned to my room. Regardless of the previous assessment of the child and the lack of full assistance, I was able to help this child make incredible gains to the point that the special needs assessor assigned to this child's case literally said this did not seem to be the child whose IEP plan she had read! With parental support and a focused learning environment that does not allow for excuses, I believe any child can learn. And, my students have proven that time and again. Contact me for more specific information on my teaching methods, and what to expect if you choose me as your child's tutor.

Criminal Justice

Before a career move to teaching, I had a 15+ year career in the field of criminal justice. After I began teaching, I took an Adjunct Criminal Justice position at ITT Technical Institute and taught the subject for a couple of quarters. Please contact me if you need assistance in CJ. With years of in-field experience, along with my teaching capabilities, I am sure I can help you with your learning needs in this subject.

Dyslexia

I am a learning and development specialist, with 20 years formal teaching experience and 35 years total including less formal settings. I've been able to help numerous kids remediate when others were unable to help. Ex: As a first grade teacher, I encountered a student formally diagnosed with dyslexia. This child also had severe behavioral issues. The student quickly made gains in my classroom, and began to understand the fundamentals of reading. His confidence began to build, and his behavior began to improve. Within 4 weeks, he was reading on his own. Obviously, he had a lot of catch-up work to do from that point, but he had made gains enough to be able to read at a late K / early first grade level in just 4 weeks.

Elementary (K-6th)

I have taught professionally for more than 20 years now (private and public, including work as a first grade teacher and college instructor; 35 years if you count the less "formal" settings). The fundamentals (3 R's) are extremely important to a child's success in life. But, the way in which a child learns to learn is at least equally as important. If you teach a child to discover tools to use for self-advancement, that child will become a capable adult. If you teach a child to look to another person (such as a teacher or parent) for answers, that child will mistakenly believe that someone else has all the answers. I teach children in a way that helps them develop confidence and life skills that move beyond the academic realm. As a bonus, my students typically make notable gains in academics beyond previous expectations by using their new found skills!

Homeschool

I am a learning and development specialist, with 35 years teaching experience. I've taught in K-12 schools and numerous community colleges, have developed and run successful reading instruction programs, and have earned public recognition for my work. I'm also a published learning and development theorist, with publications that have sold globally on Amazon.com. I can help families set up their homeschool environment for success.

Phonics

I developed and implemented a reading program for at-risk children in Los Angeles, CA about 11 years ago that earned me recognition and 2 certificates of appreciation. My approach to reading instruction and remediation is phonics based, and I have been instructing children using these techniques since I was a child myself. My first student was my younger brother. I taught him when I was about 11 years old, and he was offered the opportunity to skip a grade in school! In the years since, most of my other students (including special needs students) have enjoyed advancement beyond expectations, as well. Phonics instruction is the core of good reading ability, and it is instrumental in teaching children how to explore learning on their own through self-efficacy in reading.

Public Speaking

As a voice coach (and a performer / speaker myself), I have helped a number of people tackle their fear of public performance and learn to command an audience with confidence. One of the keys to success in this area is the knowledge that you are prepared with the skills and abilities to do well when you perform live or speak for a crowd. Contact me right now to get started on the path to becoming an excellent performer / speaker by learning the skills you need to connect with your audience and create a memorable experience for everyone.

Special Needs

I am a learning and development specialist with 20 years of formal teaching experience and 35 years of teaching if you count the less formal settings. I earned my Master's degree in general psychology (4.0 GPA) in 2013, and have since written and published workbooks and a paper on my formal learning theory (all have sold globally on Amazon). I have used the tenets of this theory to help a number of children that had trouble learning before working with me find academic and / or behavioral success. Experience includes: Developing an early reading program for at-risk children, designing and running an intervention program for an entire elementary school (the data outcomes showed averaged gains in my kids that met or exceeded those of their previously more advanced peers), teaching first grade, and tutoring children to remediate them in reading. I have worked with children with special needs in numerous settings, producing excellent (even unexpectedly high-level) results in remediation. Parental involvement does make a difference in outcomes, so I typically also set learning goals to be met at home between lessons with me in order to produce optimal outcomes for my students.

Voice (Music)

I am a Professional Voice Coach, specializing in Independent Vocal Artist Development. Since 2005, I have been dedicated to helping singers learn to sing like they always dreamed they could. Many of my private lessons students have gone on to work professionally in the industry (including lead roles in Broadway, appearing on national television shows, and performing live at pro-level events such as presidential conventions and more). Contact me today to schedule an audition for you or your child.