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Special Education Teacher | Academic & Life Skills Support
Makaio H.

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Hourly Rate: $67
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About Makaio

Bio

I am a credentialed special education and elementary educator with more than 15 years of experience supporting learners across ages, abilities, and life stages. I hold a BA in Special Education and Elementary Education; California Education Specialist, Multiple Subject, and CLAD credentials; and Master's and Doctoral degrees in Acupuncture with Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization. My experience includes special and general education, one-on-one and small-group instruction, life skills,...

I am a credentialed special education and elementary educator with more than 15 years of experience supporting learners across ages, abilities, and life stages. I hold a BA in Special Education and Elementary Education; California Education Specialist, Multiple Subject, and CLAD credentials; and Master's and Doctoral degrees in Acupuncture with Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization. My experience includes special and general education, one-on-one and small-group instruction, life skills, adult basic education, GED preparation, math, English, science, field biology, digital literacy, and community-based learning. I have worked with learners from TK through adulthood, including individuals with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral needs, and social-emotional challenges.

My approach goes beyond homework or test scores. I focus on the whole learner: academics, executive functioning, communication, confidence, emotional regulation, motivation, independence, routines, and well-being. Depending on individual needs, our work may include reading, writing, math, organization, study skills, goal setting, self-advocacy, life skills, and strategies that make learning and daily life more manageable. I especially enjoy supporting learners who have struggled in traditional settings or benefit from patient, flexible, individualized, strengths-based instruction.

My graduate education in acupuncture and herbal medicine has further shaped my interest in mindfulness, wellness, self-awareness, and the connection between physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being. I bring this holistic perspective into tutoring in an educational, non-clinical way. I am passionate about helping individuals understand themselves, recognize their strengths, build practical tools for challenges, and pursue a path toward success that is meaningful to them. My goal is to help each learner become more confident, capable, and independent in school, work, and life.

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Education

Central Washington University
Special Education, Elementary Education
Pacific College of Health and Science
Masters
Pacific College of Health and Science
Other
  • Licensed teacher

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $67
  • Rate details: Rates may vary for specialized support, groups, recurring lessons, or extended sessions. I’m happy to discuss a plan that fits your learning goals, schedule, and support needs.
  • Lesson cancellation: 12 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 8/18/2026

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

ADHD

ADHD

I am a credentialed special education and elementary teacher with more than 15 years of experience supporting students with ADHD in classroom, small-group, and one-on-one settings. I help learners strengthen attention, organization, task initiation, time management, self-monitoring, and academic independence while also addressing their individual learning needs. My approach is strengths-based and flexible, combining academic instruction with practical executive-function strategies, routines, goal setting, and self-advocacy. I have worked with learners from early elementary through adulthood and understand that successful ADHD support often requires addressing the whole learner rather than academics alone.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

I have more than 15 years of special education experience supporting autistic learners across a broad range of ages, abilities, communication styles, and support needs. My experience includes individualized instruction, academic intervention, communication support, social-emotional learning, behavior support, life skills, transitions, and building greater independence. I adapt instruction to each learner's strengths, interests, sensory and communication needs, and preferred ways of learning rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. I have worked with students from TK through transition-age and adult education settings in both individual and group environments.
Career Development

Career Development

My background in K-12 special education and adult basic education has included helping learners identify strengths, establish meaningful goals, develop independence, and make practical plans for education, employment, and adult life. I can support students and adults with career exploration, goal setting, organization, workplace readiness, educational planning, and identifying realistic next steps toward longer-term objectives. I take a whole-person approach that considers an individual's interests, abilities, challenges, values, well-being, and desired lifestyle rather than focusing only on selecting a job title. My goal is to help clients better understand themselves and turn broad aspirations into achievable action steps.
Chess

Chess

As an experienced educator, I approach chess as both a game and a tool for developing planning, problem-solving, pattern recognition, patience, and strategic thinking. I can support beginning and developing players with piece movement, rules, openings, tactics, positional concepts, and thoughtful decision-making during play. My teaching background allows me to break strategies into manageable steps and adapt instruction to different ages, learning styles, and attention needs. I particularly enjoy helping learners build confidence while understanding the reasoning behind their moves.
Common Core

Common Core

As a credentialed elementary and special education teacher, I have extensive experience planning and delivering instruction aligned with Common Core State Standards in reading, writing, mathematics, and related academic skills. I have taught students in general education, special education, small-group, and individualized settings and regularly modify grade-level content to make standards accessible to diverse learners. I help students understand not only how to arrive at an answer, but also the reasoning, vocabulary, strategies, and problem-solving processes emphasized by Common Core instruction. My special education background allows me to break complex standards into manageable steps while maintaining appropriate academic expectations.
Cooking

Cooking

My doctoral education in acupuncture and Chinese medicine included extensive exposure to nutrition, food energetics, dietary principles, and the relationship between food and overall health. I combine this health-sciences background with practical cooking experience and experience from culinary courses to help learners become more comfortable with meal preparation, ingredients, kitchen organization, and basic cooking techniques. I can also help students explore how different culinary traditions and nutritional frameworks approach balanced meals and food choices. My approach emphasizes practical skills, creativity, confidence, and developing a sustainable relationship with preparing food.
Drawing

Drawing

I have experience with visual art and enjoy helping learners develop drawing through observation, experimentation, and consistent practice. I can support students with foundational concepts such as line, shape, proportion, perspective, composition, shading, and translating three-dimensional subjects onto a two-dimensional surface. As an educator, I am comfortable adapting instruction for different ages, skill levels, and learning styles while breaking artistic concepts into approachable steps. I encourage students to develop both technical skills and their own individual visual voice.
Dyslexia

Dyslexia

As a special education teacher, I have extensive experience supporting students with reading disabilities and characteristics associated with dyslexia, including difficulties with decoding, fluency, spelling, phonological skills, and reading comprehension. I use explicit, systematic instruction, repetition, scaffolding, multisensory learning opportunities, and individualized practice to help students strengthen foundational literacy skills while maintaining confidence and motivation. I also help learners develop accommodations, compensatory strategies, and self-advocacy skills that make reading demands more manageable across subjects. My approach is individualized and educational, and I work within my teaching expertise rather than representing myself as a clinical diagnostician.
Earth Science

Earth Science

My background as an elementary and special education teacher includes teaching and supporting students across interdisciplinary science topics, including Earth systems, weather, climate, geology, ecosystems, natural resources, and environmental science. I help students understand scientific concepts by connecting abstract ideas to observable processes and real-world examples. My special education experience allows me to scaffold vocabulary, diagrams, scientific reading, and multi-step concepts for learners who may find traditional science instruction challenging. I emphasize curiosity, systems thinking, and understanding how Earth's physical and biological processes interact.
Elementary (K-6th)

Elementary (K-6th)

I am a credentialed elementary and special education teacher with more than 15 years of experience teaching and supporting elementary-age students in reading, writing, mathematics, and broader academic development. I have worked in general education, special education, one-on-one, and small-group settings with learners ranging widely in skill level and learning needs. I specialize in breaking challenging material into understandable steps, identifying gaps in foundational skills, and adapting instruction to the way each child learns best. Along with academics, I incorporate organization, confidence, communication, perseverance, and independence so students develop skills that transfer beyond an individual assignment or test.
Executive Functioning

Executive Functioning

Executive-function development has been a central part of my work as a special education teacher, particularly with students with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, and emotional or behavioral needs. I help learners develop practical strategies for organization, planning, prioritization, task initiation, time management, working memory, self-monitoring, emotional regulation, and completing multi-step responsibilities. Sessions can combine academic work with routines, visual supports, goal setting, accountability systems, and reflection so that students learn strategies they can use independently. My approach focuses on understanding why a task is difficult and building sustainable systems around the individual rather than simply telling them to try harder.
GED

GED

I have experience teaching adult basic education and supporting learners working toward GED-level skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and general academic readiness. I have also been a certificated educator for over 15 years. My approach focuses on identifying foundational gaps, breaking complex material into manageable steps, and building the confidence and study habits needed for sustained progress. I am especially comfortable working with students who have had negative school experiences, learning disabilities, ADHD, or other barriers that may have made traditional instruction difficult. My goal is to help each learner strengthen both academic skills and the independence needed to succeed on the GED and beyond.
Graphic Design

Graphic Design

I have experience creating visual materials for educational, professional, artistic, and small-business purposes, giving me a practical understanding of how design communicates information clearly and effectively. I can help learners understand foundational graphic-design principles including layout, hierarchy, typography, contrast, spacing, visual balance, branding, and communicating for a specific audience. My educational background is particularly useful when teaching students how to organize complex information into accessible visual formats such as presentations, flyers, educational materials, and digital content. I approach graphic design as a combination of creativity, communication, and purposeful problem-solving.
Nutrition

Nutrition

My doctoral training in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine included integrated study of both Eastern and Western approaches to nutrition, including the relationship between food, physiology, health, and overall well-being. My education has included conventional nutritional concepts alongside traditional Chinese medicine perspectives on food properties, patterns, digestion, and individualized dietary considerations. I can help students understand nutrition concepts, terminology, foundational physiology, and the similarities and differences between Eastern and Western frameworks. My tutoring is educational in nature and focuses on helping learners understand course material rather than providing individualized medical or nutritional treatment.
Painting

Painting

My background in visual art includes experience exploring painting as a means of creativity, observation, expression, and personal development. I can help beginning and developing artists understand composition, color relationships, value, layering, texture, and the process of developing an image from initial concept through completion. My teaching experience allows me to provide patient, individualized instruction while helping students experiment rather than feeling limited by a single “correct” artistic method. I emphasize developing technique alongside confidence, curiosity, and an authentic personal style.
Pharmacology

Pharmacology

My doctoral education in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine included pharmacology as an integrated component of the curriculum, with study of commonly used medications, mechanisms of action, indications, contraindications, adverse effects, and clinically relevant interactions. My training also required understanding how conventional pharmaceuticals relate to herbal medicine and broader integrative health considerations. I can help students organize pharmacology concepts, understand terminology and mechanisms, and connect medication classes with relevant physiology and clinical applications. My tutoring is focused on academic understanding and does not replace medical or prescribing advice.
Reading

Reading

I am a credentialed special education and elementary teacher with more than 15 years of experience teaching reading comprehension, vocabulary, close reading, and evidence-based analysis across a wide range of learners. I help students identify main ideas, interpret tone and purpose, analyze relationships within a passage, and answer questions efficiently using textual evidence. My special education background allows me to break complex passages and question types into clear, repeatable strategies for students who struggle with attention, processing, or test anxiety. I emphasize both accuracy and pacing so students can approach reading with greater confidence and independence.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

I am a credentialed special education and elementary teacher with more than 15 years of experience teaching reading comprehension, vocabulary, close reading, and evidence-based analysis across a wide range of learners. I help students identify main ideas, interpret tone and purpose, analyze relationships within a passage, and answer questions efficiently using textual evidence. My special education background allows me to break complex passages and question types into clear, repeatable strategies for students who struggle with attention, processing, or test anxiety. I emphasize both accuracy and pacing so students can approach SAT Reading with greater confidence and independence.
Sociology

Sociology

My interdisciplinary background in education, special education, health sciences, and adult education provides a strong foundation for exploring how individuals interact with families, institutions, cultures, communities, and broader social systems. I can help students understand foundational sociological concepts such as culture, socialization, inequality, institutions, identity, group behavior, social norms, and the relationship between individual experiences and larger social structures. My professional experience working with diverse learners and communities gives me practical contexts for discussing many of these concepts beyond textbook definitions. I help students develop critical thinking while considering multiple perspectives and connecting sociological theory to everyday life.
Special Needs

Special Needs

I am a credentialed special education teacher with more than 15 years of experience working with learners with diverse disabilities and support needs from TK through adulthood. My experience includes autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral needs, social-emotional challenges, developmental differences, and students requiring individualized academic and life-skills instruction. I provide patient, strengths-based support that can incorporate academics, communication, executive functioning, self-regulation, independence, routines, and self-advocacy. I believe effective instruction begins with understanding the whole person and adapting teaching to the learner rather than expecting the learner to fit a single instructional model.
Yoga

Yoga

I have practiced yoga for nearly two decades and have developed a strong personal understanding of breathwork, mobility, body awareness, mindfulness, and the connection between physical and mental well-being. My doctoral training in acupuncture and Chinese medicine also incorporated qigong and tai chi, giving me additional experience with traditional movement, breath, posture, balance, and mind-body practices. I bring these complementary perspectives together to help students better understand movement, relaxation, body awareness, and sustainable wellness practices. My approach is educational and supportive, with an emphasis on adapting practices to the individual rather than prescribing medical treatment.
Elementary Math
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Response time: 1 day
Hourly Rate: $67
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