Certified K–6 Teacher | Reading, Math, Writing & Confidence Build

Charlie M.

I am an Iowa licensed teacher with 14 years of classroom experience. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Cornell College and my master’s degree in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies from the University of Iowa with a 4.0 GPA. Most of my teaching career has been with 5th and 6th grade students. For 12 years, I taught all elementary subjects, and for the last 2 years I have focused specifically on 6th grade math.

Math is the area I feel strongest tutoring. I currently teach with Illustrative Mathematics and have also used a variety of intervention and enrichment programs. I can help students with number sense, fractions, decimals, ratios, word problems, homework, problem-solving, and overall confidence in math. I have also tutored elementary and high school students outside of the regular classroom, so I am comfortable working one-on-one and adjusting to what each student needs.

My teaching style is patient, guided, and question-based. I try not to just give answers. I use questions, examples, guided practice, and step-by-step support to help students understand what they are doing and why it works. I have worked with many students with IEPs, 504 plans, ADHD, and different learning needs. This year, I teach a co-taught 6th grade math class with many students receiving special education services, so I am used to breaking things down and finding different ways to explain a concept.

The thing I care about most is confidence. A lot of students decide they are “bad at math” because they have struggled with it before. I work hard to help students slow down, ask better questions, show their thinking, and stick with problems even when they are challenging. My goal is for every student to leave tutoring feeling more confident, more capable, and better prepared to handle the work on their own.