Fun Facts

I am currently enrolled in a Master of Education program at DePaul University to be certified to teach middle and high school English.
I absolutely love traveling and learning about new cultures.
Writing poetry is one of my favorite hobbies.
I love reading, and I especially enjoy autobiographies.
When I am not writing, I also enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes.
I have taken nine years of French, and it is my favorite foreign language.

About Me

I recently graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in English. Chicago is still new to me, because I have only been here for a few months! I am enjoying it thus far, and there is always so much to do. Also, I am attending DePaul University for an M.Ed in Secondary Education English and hope to be a certified teacher in 2013. Through my program, I have had the opportunity to observe in a variety of Chicago high schools and gain experience working with students and faculty.

My experience in teaching began several years ago. I tutored through a volunteer program called dublin">Dublin C.A.R.E.S. in dublin">Dublin, Ohio. The group met weekly and I was paired with a different student each week. The students ranged in grades from K-8, and we tutored every subject. I enjoyed the program, because I was introduced to a variety of ages and subject matters. In dublin">Dublin C.A.R.E.S., I succeeded by being able to improvise lessons and connect with students within the short three hours we were given. My most recent chicago">tutoring experience was at Ohio State's learning center. I tutored an eighth grade student in writing and reading-comprehension/illinois/chicago">reading comprehension. I developed lesson plans by communicating with my student to better understand her interests and relate those to her class material. I also kept in constant contact with my supervisor and my student's grandmother to explain the activities in each lesson. This experience was crucial to me, because I gained a better understanding of effective approaches in connecting with students and developing lesson plans.

My approach to chicago">tutoring is ever-evolving. It is imperative that I know who my student is. I enjoy getting to know what their hobbies and interests are, and from that, I can guage which teaching method might work best for them. There are a variety of ways that students learn, and each one learns differently. I believe that listening is an important factor in the teaching process.