How I Conquered Shyness and You Can Too (14 to 18 Years Old)

Teaching and mentoring are my passion.  I like to provide interactive and motivating, learning experiences.  My learners have a chance to express themselves and connect with their peers in class.  I like to start my classes with an easy ice breaker where leaners have an opportunity to introduce themselves and say something about themselves.  For my social groups, I actively help learners connect with peers during class, by creating an environment where asking questions and talking with each other is welcome at the beginning of class.   If timing allows, I also give this outlet at the end of class where learners can engage in peer conversation about the subject of the class.  This simple thing leads to a feeling of connectedness and, frankly, to a fun learning environment.

I am passionate about teaching Spanish, math, entrepreneurship, financial skills, and social skills. My favorite moments are when I can see "the light go on" in a young leaner's head.  The moment you can tell they just "got" that new concept. 

When it comes to teaching Spanish, I believe there is a certain magic in the process. It is magical to see someone who knew nothing about that language and over time they keep learning words and improving their pronunciation little by little until one day you find yourself thinking "wow, they are becoming so proficient now!"  I am a native speaker that can speak with a neutral accent and help learners also distinguish between different dialects.  I like using the Comprehensive Input (CI) approach.  I provide different activities to make my classes interactive and engaging. 

For the past 12 years, I have been a child-centered educator.  I have taught individual and group classes both in person and online.   I have taught and tutored math and ELA at the elementary school and middle school levels.  I served as president of MOMS Club, Int’l (local chapter), actively participated in the teaching rotation of my local homeschool co-op, helped coordinate a kids’ book club for over 5 years, volunteered with my local scouts pack, and worked as a teacher for a large homeschool organization in person. As a side note, I was a homeschool mom for 10 years.   

Interesting miscellaneous facts about me:   I love to travel. I also love to perform and there was a time I did it professionally.  I once won a Best Actress Award at a regional theater festival. At some point, with a group of actor friends, we pitched a pilot (which we co-wrote and performed in).  The show got picked up and we had so much fun with it!  I have had 2 dogs, 5 fishes, and 5 cats (not all at the same time!)