Heather
Certified Tutor
I absolutely love to teach, and I love to learn, but I can assure you, it wasn't always this way!
I struggled a great deal academically throughout my middle and high school years. Friends, clothes, dating...pretty much everything came before academics. It wasn't until college, when I was able to take classes I really had an interest in, that I finally began to excel. Now, to be clear, I didn't just suddenly wake up "smart" one day (although that would've been nice). The reason I was doing so well was because, in the past, if I found a subject boring, or even slightly challenging, I didn't care about it. I tuned my teacher out, and made zero effort.
Despite the challenges of school and life in general, I was determine to move forward and be successful. After graduating high school, on my own dime, I went to a local community college and took my "basics". Eventually, I transferred to the University of Houston where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, followed by a Masters degree in Social Work. Mission "Prove my Parents Wrong": Accomplished.
After graduating, I became a licensed therapist, and worked with children and families for about 10 years before making the decision transition to teaching. I went back to school to earn my teaching certification, and started teaching, and I love it!
I am currently certified to teach every grade level, and have additional certifications in ESL, GT, and Special Education (and of course, being a teacher in Texas, I am a STAAR expert). I have worked extensively with students of all ages, with a variety of needs and goals. I have a plethora of resources and "tools" that I use to ensure each student gets exactly what he/she needs, whether that's test prep, help with a writing/editing a graduate research paper, learning to read, subject enrichment and everything above, beyond and in between. I have a very open and flexible schedule, and, personally, I think I am awesome to work with! (a little joke of course)
Bottom line (finally, I know)...
As previously mentioned, college was where I realized I was actually a little bit smarter than I had been giving myself credit for, but it was also where it became clear that there were some things I was just not going to be able to wrap my head around. My solution? I found some great tutors, and as a result of my experiences with them, I am a firm believer that the best tutors are those who have needed and used one at some point! Now, I'm certainly not knocking those individuals that seem to just "get it" (no matter what the subject)...sigh...but that was definitely not me! I think it truly "takes one to know one", and that is really what drives me to do what I do!
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Houston - Bachelors, Psychology
Graduate Degree: University of Houston - Masters, Social Work
Reading, teaching, and binge watching television!
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- 11th Grade Reading
- 11th Grade Writing
- 12th Grade Reading
- 12th Grade Writing
- 1st Grade
- 1st Grade Reading
- 1st Grade Writing
- 2nd Grade
- 2nd Grade Reading
- 2nd Grade Writing
- 3rd Grade
- 3rd Grade Reading
- 3rd Grade Science
- 3rd Grade Writing
- 4th Grade
- 4th Grade Reading
- 4th Grade Science
- 4th Grade Writing
- 5th Grade
- 5th Grade Reading
- 5th Grade Science
- 5th Grade Writing
- 6th Grade
- 6th Grade Reading
- 6th Grade Science
- 6th Grade Writing
- 7th Grade
- 7th Grade Reading
- 7th Grade Science
- 7th Grade Writing
- 8th Grade
- 8th Grade Reading
- 8th Grade Science
- 8th Grade Writing
- 9th Grade Reading
- 9th Grade Writing
- ACT English
- ACT Reading
- ACT Writing
- Adult Literacy
- Advanced Placement Prep
- Anthropology
- CLEP American Literature
- CLEP Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
- CLEP College Composition
- CLEP English Literature
- CLEP Human Growth and Development
- CLEP Humanities
- CLEP Introduction to Educational Psychology
- CLEP Introductory Psychology
- CLEP Introductory Sociology
- CLEP Social Sciences and History
- College English
- College Essays
- Comparative Literature
- Elementary School
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Science
- Elementary School Writing
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- Ethics
- Gifted
- High School Chemistry
- High School English
- High School Writing
- Homework Support
- Journalism
- Literature
- MAP Prep
- Middle School
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Science
- Middle School Writing
- OAT Reading Comprehension
- Other
- PCAT Reading Comprehension
- PCAT Verbal Ability
- PCAT Writing
- Phonics
- PSAT Critical Reading
- PSAT Writing Skills
- Public Health
- Reading
- SAT Reading
- SAT Writing and Language
- Social Sciences
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Special Education
- STAAR Prep
- STAAR EOC Prep
- STAAR Grades 3-8 Prep
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Test Prep
- TOEFL Prep
- Vocabulary
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
"The best way to learn is to do; the worst way to teach is to talk.” - Paul Halmos I LOVE this quote because it's truly the epitome of my teaching philosophy. I am a firm believer that learning is an active process that requires us to be engaged; therefore, my role as a teacher is to, first and foremost, work with my students to identify the best way to engage them. Listening to me explain things is NOT (usually) the best way to grasp a topic you're struggling with, or learn something new in general. So, my first goal is for us to figure out what DOES work for you. It might involve reading, writing, making charts, taking notes, drawing pictures, watching videos, listening to a song... the list goes on! The point is, we learn the best when we are DOING, not just LISTENING...
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
A typical first session will always involve a discussion about needs, expectations, and goals. It is critical that I have a very clear understanding of what the student feels that he/she needs academically, and expects from myself and our sessions, so we are able to plan and set goals accordingly.