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24-Year Texas Educator | STAAR & EOC English Specialist | Element
Melissa C.

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Hourly Rate: $70
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About Melissa

Bio

I am a Texas-certified educator with 26 years of classroom experience helping students build strong reading, writing, and academic thinking skills. I have taught in both elementary and secondary settings, including grades 3–6 and secondary English focused on reading and writing. Throughout my career, my classrooms consistently demonstrated strong STAAR performance, and I have extensive experience teaching students strategies that lead to success on STAAR and the English I EOC. My work with...

I am a Texas-certified educator with 26 years of classroom experience helping students build strong reading, writing, and academic thinking skills. I have taught in both elementary and secondary settings, including grades 3–6 and secondary English focused on reading and writing. Throughout my career, my classrooms consistently demonstrated strong STAAR performance, and I have extensive experience teaching students strategies that lead to success on STAAR and the English I EOC. My work with student achievement has also led to participation on district curriculum development teams and most recently to my role as an EOC Specialist supporting high school students who required targeted intervention.

My undergraduate degree is in English with an emphasis in rhetoric and writing, and I have continued refining my instructional approach through independent study, instructional coaching, collaboration with colleagues, and close observation of effective literacy instruction. I also completed graduate coursework at the University of Texas at Arlington focused on how students develop understanding in mathematics and language, which helps me quickly identify learning gaps and explain concepts clearly.

I have extensive experience working with struggling readers, dyslexic learners, and English language learners. I was trained in the SIPPS reading intervention program and used it successfully for many years to strengthen decoding, fluency, and comprehension. My goal is to help students build both skill and confidence so they can approach schoolwork with clarity and success.

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Education

Texas A&M University
English
university of texas at arlington
Graduate Coursework
  • Licensed teacher

Policies

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Approved Subjects

Elementary (K-6th)

Elementary (K-6th)

I have over 24 years of experience supporting students in foundational reading and mathematics. In addition to my undergraduate degree, I completed 18 graduate hours through the University of Texas at Arlington focused specifically on how children learn and make meaning of mathematics. This training allows me to identify conceptual gaps in number sense, fractions, and multi-step problem solving and help students build true understanding rather than memorizing procedures. I specialize in working with students who have struggled in the past and need clear explanations, structured practice, and confidence-building instruction. I have extensive experience analyzing released STAAR test items, guiding students through constructed responses, and providing targeted intervention for students who need extra support to meet or exceed proficiency. I also successfully taught math in a fully virtual environment during COVID, which gave me valuable experience supporting students online. When tutoring, my goal is to help students build confidence while learning clear strategies for solving problems, reading questions carefully, and organizing their thinking so they can succeed both in class and on state assessments.
Elementary Math

Elementary Math

I have over 25 years of classroom teaching experience and a strong record of helping students build confidence and mastery in elementary math. My students consistently achieved outstanding STAAR results, supported by my graduate work in constructivist mathematics and concept-based instruction. During COVID, I successfully taught math in a fully virtual environment and developed strategies that translate extremely well to online tutoring. I specialize in breaking down difficult concepts into clear, manageable steps so students truly understand the “why” behind the math.
Elementary Science

Elementary Science

I have taught 3-6 grade Science both self-contained and departmentalized, regular and advanced, in-person, and online during Covid. My approach to the joy and wonder of Science has proven successful for my students as evidenced by their scores, and their attitudes toward Science. I love to use a multi-layered approach that includes real-life exploration, meaningful videos of topics we can neither see with the naked eye or visit. My students have always given me great feedback in addition to their great test scores. Science is a natural wonder for students, and I lean heavily on that curiosity to build their conceptual understanding of the way things work!
English

English

I started teaching HS English in 2000 in Arlington ISD, and I ended my career teaching HS English in Mansfield ISD in 2026. During that time I worked tirelessly through research, collaborative communities, and in-class practical experience to master the ins and outs of English. My bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M is in English with an emphasis on rhetoric. My specialties include literature, grammar, and writing, and my developmental approach to English has proven successful for hundreds of students on state exams, college entrance exams, persuasive writing, creative writing, and in the daily act of reading to understand. My foundations in early literacy enable me to assist struggling readers by meeting them at their current level, and assisting them as they move up grade levels in a short period of time. If your student is wanting to improve their overall English skills, or focus on one particular area, I am your English tutor.
Grammar

Grammar

I am a veteran English teacher with a degree in English and experience teaching students in grades 3–12. I have served as an EOC specialist and contributed to district curriculum development, with a strong track record of improving student performance on state assessments. For the past two years, I have continued supporting students through tutoring, maintaining consistent, individualized instruction outside the classroom. I use a developmentally appropriate approach to meet students where they are, breaking down grammar and writing into clear, manageable steps for learners of any age, including struggling readers, ESL students, and students with dyslexia.
Reading

Reading

I hold an undergraduate degree in English with an emphasis in rhetoric and writing, and I have spent many years refining my craft as a reading and writing instructor. Throughout my career as a Texas educator, I have worked extensively with students to strengthen reading comprehension, analytical thinking, and essay writing skills. My success in reading instruction is reflected in my students’ strong STAAR reading results, my participation on district curriculum development teams, and my promotion to EOC Specialist supporting high school students preparing for English I EOC assessments. In my tutoring, I draw on both my classroom experience and graduate-level study in how students develop language and literacy skills. I have extensive experience supporting dyslexic learners and English language learners, and I was trained in the SIPPS reading intervention program, which I used successfully for many years at the elementary level. This experience allows me to help struggling readers slow down the reading process, break language into manageable parts, and develop strategies that improve decoding, comprehension, and confidence. I also enjoy helping strong students deepen their text analysis and strengthen their writing. My goal is to help every student become a confident reader who can approach challenging texts with clarity and purpose.
Spelling

Spelling

I hold a degree in English with an emphasis in rhetoric and writing, and I bring over two decades of experience supporting students in grades 3-12. I specialize in spelling through explicit phonics instruction, word patterns, and morphology rather than memorization alone. My approach to spelling is developmentally appropriate for any age and adapts to each student’s needs, including those who have struggled with spelling in the past. Students I work with build accuracy, confidence, and transferable spelling skills that stick.
STAAR

STAAR

I am a Texas-certified educator with over 24 years of classroom experience helping students succeed in elementary math and on STAAR assessments. Throughout my career, I have worked with a wide range of learners and specialize in helping students truly understand mathematical concepts rather than simply memorize procedures. My graduate work in constructivist mathematics shaped my teaching approach, which focuses on building deep understanding and helping students see the reasoning behind the math they are learning. Over the years, my students consistently achieved strong STAAR results because I teach clear strategies for reading questions carefully, breaking down multi-step problems, and explaining their thinking. I also successfully taught math in a fully virtual environment during COVID, which allowed me to develop effective online teaching techniques that translate well to tutoring. My goal as a tutor is to help students build confidence, strengthen their problem-solving skills, and feel capable and successful in math. I enjoy helping students discover that math can make sense and that they are capable of succeeding with the right support and guidance.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

I hold a degree in English from Texas A&M with an emphasis in rhetoric and writing, and I bring over two decades of experience supporting students in grades 3-12. I specialize in vocabulary development through context, word roots, and meaningful application rather than memorization alone. My approach is developmentally appropriate for any age and adapts to each student’s needs, including those with dyslexia or language-based learning differences. Students I work with gain confidence, precision, and lasting command of language.
Writing

Writing

I spent 5 years teaching 4th grade Writing for the TAKS test, and went on to teach writing to high school students who struggled with the basic foundations of where do I start? What should it sound like? What does the test want? Hours of research and hands-on practice in 3-12 grades have given me a large set of tools with which I can help most any student who wishes to improve their writing skills.
Phonics
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Hourly Rate: $70
Contact Melissa