Pirate Geometry, Treasure Hunters

Hi! My students usually call me Miss Stefany. 

In the course of earning my bachelor's of arts in social sciences (with a concentration in education), I decided that the big classroom setting was not for me. I finished the program, but started private, one-on-one tutoring instead. That was 11 years ago now, and I've never regretted the decision! I love being able to work with the same students for multiple years, getting to know them and their families, and developing the relationships. They come to trust me, and I spend a good amount of time as a counselor as well as a teacher!

About 6 years ago I embarked on a new adventure of group tutoring, as well a online tutoring. I held a few summer math camps in person, and worked with a few students over the internet. Both experiences were a blast, so I merged the two and started offering group lessons online in 2019. It's been an exciting chapter in my journey in education, and I have since started my own math teaching company, Unique Math Minds, LLC. Since I love the community here at Outschool, I still offer classes when I can. 

Math is my passion. I love numbers, patterns, and  discovering the rules these numbers have to follow. This passion comes out in the way I teach and even kids with math anxiety end up getting excited about our lessons. I teach with the individual learner in mind, so I make sure to offer lessons with multiple strengths in mind. For example, I love to use hands on objects to make math concepts come to life; we do a lot of talking about the relationships and rules, reasoning on the whys of math strategies; and then there are the lessons that we get up and move around, making a dance to help us remember facts or moving around the room to make the geometry come to life. Whatever your learners' strengths are, you are bound to find some of my classes that meet their unique needs.

One unique thing about me that makes lessons with me a little different is that I know what its like to struggle! Growing up, learning came easy to  me. I was always head of my class and could pass a test with minimal studying. But when I was 18 I was in a terrible car accident that almost killed me. I was in a coma for 3 days, and suffered a closed head injury that cause temporary amnesia and damage to my short term memory. For years I struggled to do the most basic things. But through diligence and research, I found strategies to help me overcome this challenge. My studies in college also helped me to learn about how we learn and ways we can rewire our brains. I still have to take tedious notes and set reminders on my phone! But not only can I keep up with the daily tasks of raising teenagers and being a supportive wife, I've also been able to manage a business and create resources for teachers on the side. This experience has created humility and understanding for my students who struggle the most, and when they know this fact about me they typically lose any fear they had about getting extra help.