Learners will build their "communication toolbox" of skills to help them tackle various real-world situations. Practice makes perfect, right? Class topics will be very similar to or the same as the multi-learner Teen class ("Real Talk: Advanced Conversational Skills for Teens"), but with more privacy for learners who prefer to learn on their own.

Suzanne holds an M.A. in Education - Speech-Language Pathology, and a B.A. in Linguistics (cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Campuswide Honors Program, Linguistics Honors Program), with an emphasis in Sociolinguistics and a secondary emphasis in Historical Linguistics. Her Honors thesis, "'Like', 'go', and 'all' in the speech of Southern California youth," (1996) reflected her desire to understand how language is actually used. In high school, she was on drill/dance team and in theatre, belonged to a slew of clubs, played in two string ensembles, was an award-winning creative writer, and was a National Merit Commended Scholar. 

She is a speech-language pathologist, an educator, and a parent of three kids (two teens, one elementary-aged) with various special learning and health needs. She is also a twice-exceptional/NAT individual. 

She has experience (as a professional, a parent, or a volunteer) across the full spectrum of education, including public school, private school (secular, Christian, International Baccalaureate), homeschool, homeschool co-op, online school, de-schooling, mainstream education, special education, special day class, Deaf/HOH schools, and day care. She is familiar with a variety of curricula and has also developed her own curricula. She has approximately 20 years of experience as speech-language pathologist, and has been volunteering in schools since she was a fifth grader (more years ago than she'll admit). She has dedicated her life to lifting children up and supporting their educational and socio-emotional needs. 

In her spare time - when she has any - she is a performer (dance production, modeling, on-screen acting), takes voice lessons, manages her daughter's acting career, reads voraciously, plays multiple instruments, and writes.

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