Fun Facts

My three favorite pastimes are reading, playing my drum set, and enjoying time with my friends and family. Little sounds better than relaxing with a cup of coffee and a good book. If I'm not reading, I'm likely playing my drums. I play in an established band in Chicago. There's nothing like playing our music and having fun with a large audience!

About Me

I grew up in the north-west Chicago suburb of Lake Zurich. After high school, I couldn't resist moving to and going to school in the city. I graduated from Roosevelt University with a bachelor's of the arts in English and a license to teach secondary education in 2014. I have been teaching English/Language at Banner Academy in the west side neighborhood of Austin ever since. I've loved to read so much that it became a passion of mine to share that love with others.

I have been at Banner Academy for three years and I'm still excited to enter the school every day. At Banner, I plan and implement all of my own units and lessons based off of the Common Core Standards as well as the interests and passions of my students. Austin is anything but an easy neighborhood in which to grow up, so sharing ideas through reading and writing is a wonderful way to help build critical thinking skills, confidence, and gain perspectives that many students would not have otherwise had.

I love teaching in a self contained classroom setting, but I also enjoy providing as much individual attention as I can to my students. I can then work off of their individual strengths and interests, which is why I am drawn to chicago">tutoring.

The first step to being a good chicago">tutor is to become familiar with the student. Showing an interest in their lives will begin to create a trust that is essential to helping a student learn. Throughout this process, because everyone learns differently, it is important to understand how the student learns. Without this understanding, there will be no way to move forward. Once this is clear, it is imperative that you help the student understand how they learn. This will help them develop the skills to learn both in and out of the classroom. With all of this information, it will be easier to plan lessons that cater to the student's individual needs and interests.

Experience

After receiving my Bachelor's Degree in English and a license to teach secondary education, I was employed at Banner Academy Alternative High School and have been there ever since. I work with students of very diverse backgrounds. Some come from wealthy families, others are very low-income or even homeless. Many of my students have been incarcerated. Many of my students are parents. As a result of the diversity in my students, I need to be prepared to teach a number of different skills at once.