My Philosophy
When I work with a student, I don’t just see a child learning academics — I see a family working as a community with their child’s teachers, and with me.
A parent’s gifting and personality influence their child’s learning, and I like to figure out how to make that influence as positive as can be. Sometimes, while I find a student’s potential, I find their parent’s as well.
I consider siblings, and how that relationship dynamic can have an effect on a child’s learning. I consider whether extended family is on board, ambivalent, or opposed to helping and supporting the parent’s schooling decisions, because I understand how this can affect a child’s feelings toward their own education.
I look into how a child’s teacher is working with the student in their day-to-day education, and I work to enhance and supplement what the student is learning in the classroom.
I know the big-picture of a child’s life determines much of what and how they learn, and so, as a teacher, I want to understand my student’s life in order to understand how I can best meet their needs.
I like to be in communication with parents about what each child’s teacher has assessed as their learning challenges, and we often focus on those areas, working on homework together as well as work I prepare. Over time, I pinpoint other areas where I can assist each student, and I always feed this information back to parents to pass on to teachers. The best education any child can receive involves collaboration between the trusted adults in their life!