Tara

Certified Tutor

I first began tutoring at the University of Arizona Writing Center while earning my B.A. in Creative Writing and Spanish & Portuguese. This position not only gave me the opportunity to work closely with undergraduate students, but also to help high school students edit their personal statements in preparation for college.

Upon graduation in 2008, I became a Teach for America corps member. Through the organization, I taught English for two years in the Isaac School District while earning my M.A. in Elementary Education at Arizona State University. During this time I adopted many of Teach for America's core beliefs: that all students should have the opportunity to receive an excellent education; that every student is capable of succeeding; and that family income should not determine a student's academic success.

After my two-year commitment to the corps ended, I moved to Japan and taught English through Phoenix Sister Cities. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with students ranging from preschool to adult. I enjoyed traveling to many of Japan's beautiful cities and neighboring countries while learning about the language and culture.

Although I have enjoyed my experience in the classroom immensely, I primarily enjoy working with students on a one-on-one basis. This gives me the opportunity to get to know them as individuals and really keep track of their progress. I view tutoring as more of an exchange than traditional teaching; I believe my students and I can work together to solve any problem. When assisting with a writing assignment, for example, it will only be a temporary solution for me to simply pull out a red pen and begin editing. Instead, I prefer to have a conversation with the student to explain the "why" and "how" behind the necessary revisions so that we can improve the piece together.

When I am not tutoring, I enjoy traveling, gardening, watching movies, playing racquetball, and spending time with friends and family. As I live near ASU's Tempe campus, I enjoy finding fun things to do in the area such as attending shows at Gammage Auditorium, finding new restaurants to try, and relaxing at Tempe Town Lake.