Megan: Waterloo tutor

Certified Tutor

For as long as I can remember, I've connected well with children. I've always had a passion for helping others, specifically children, and watching them grow. I attended Western Michigan University for my undergraduate where I majored in Criminal Justice and Sociology with a minor in Psychology. I received my Masters degree in Elementary Education at Western Michigan as well. I spent three years working in a preschool setting during my undergraduate years where I was an assistant teacher as well as a lead teacher. While completing my Master's degree program, I student taught in a 2nd grade classroom for a full year. By the end of the year, I was teaching all class subjects (including lesson planning) independently for the entire school day. During my student teaching, I also had the opportunity to substitute teach and observe in any of the K-5 classrooms.
I am qualified to tutor in all K-5 Elementary subjects. My favorite subjects to teach are English and Science because I excel in those subjects myself. However, I am always ready for an opportunity to expand my knowledge in other subject areas while helping students.

Teaching Philosophy
I believe that all children are capable of learning. Not one child learns the same way or has the same needs of another child. All children deserve modifications and accommodations based on their strengths, challenges, interests, background, cultures, and learning style. Communication with student families is crucial to understanding and learning more about students and to help children learn to their highest capacity. I will strive to create a classroom that is a safe space for all children to learn, grow, and achieve rich learning. I will incorporate the use of differentiation, whole group, small group, and independent work. Flexible seating will be made available throughout the classroom. Diverse and interesting curriculum will be implemented that incorporates student interests and cultures. Engaging, and exploratory content will always be a focus in my lesson planning. Students will have vast opportunities to explore, discover, and question as they learn new content. I believe teaching social and emotional skills is just as important as educational content for students to function in society including problem solving skills, independence, self-regulation, and coping skills. When teaching and interacting with students, I will keep an open mind, be understanding of students and any outside factors that may be impacting them and their learning. Each student will be held to high expectations tailored to their individual needs. I will maintain a strong classroom community based on mutual respect, kindness, and fairness.