Mary: Ottawa tutor

Certified Tutor

I began my college education at the College of St. Teresa in Winona, Minnesota. I took several literature courses in addition to some required courses. Even though I enjoyed the beautiful bluffs and snow, this was not a good fit. I decided to pursue journalism, and the college offered none of those courses and did not have a school newspaper.

After working for over a year to save money, I discovered there was a surplus of journalism students. I finished my education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, acquiring a BA in English and a minor in Education. I was married at this time, taking classes and waitressing, for the good tips and free meals. I also learned quite a bit about human nature, when I received excellent tips from construction workers and poor tips from many high paid executives. I practiced not assuming things about people.

For several years I delivered all day classes at Computer Workshop, where businesses sent their employees to learn various word processing and spreadsheet applications. The saying; "If you enjoy your job you won't work a day in your life," definitely applied here and to all future teaching jobs. I only quit to stay home and raise a baby who my husband and I adopted.

For one year I delivered GED classes in language arts and introductory math, part-time, at Triton College. I supported students by using various teaching methods to accommodate different learning styles. Even though my major was English I enjoyed the math classes more than I expected.

For several years I delivered in-class and online training at Triton College, part-time, in Introduction to Computers, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. The student body was very diverse, which presented challenges that I enjoyed, and made classes more interesting. I frequently provided one-on-one tutoring after class during all the years at Triton. This was done mostly for math, Word and Excel.

I have been at Logic One robots since 2006, providing training in robot use for different levels of staff in manufacturing plants. This work has alternated between full-time and part-time, which is what I am currently doing, due to a decrease in business.

My favorite subjects to tutor are language arts, Word and Excel. I enjoy language arts because that was my major. I love to craft succinct yet descriptive writing pieces, and help students understand how important grammar is. Word is the perfect companion to language arts, because I can show students how much help Word provides. And I enjoy Excel because it is so versatile. I have found many uses for Excel in my personal life. I would also like to teach public speaking, however have not done so yet.
The basis for my teaching philosophy is to assume nothing. During the course of explaining concepts, I check in with the student to ensure they are getting as much information as they need. However, I also refrain from expounding on concepts they do understand, so as not to waste their time or bore them. A method I like to use is: "Tell them what I'm going to tell them, Tell them, Then tell them what I told them." This sets the student's expectations and reinforces what they learned.

I like to occasionally add some humor. When teaching language arts I used examples from the book Eats, Shoots and Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! I also remind students that they can ask any question and I always am patient and treat the student with respect.

Outside of academia I participate in a book club and church group, each on a monthly basis. I like to attend live theater productions, mostly at local colleges and smaller venues. And I work out at the local YMCA.