Jane

Certified Tutor

I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015 with a B.A. in Biology and minors in both English and Creative Writing. During this time, I also gained experience tutoring a student in Reading at an elementary school in West Philadelphia. After my undergraduate career, I took a position with Teach for America in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. I taught 6th and 7th grade mathematics in a Title I middle school in Phoenix for two years. I also earned my M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Arizona State University during this time, and I graduated in Spring of 2021. While most of my experience is working with middle school students, I am certified to teach math between grades 6-12. I have worked with all kinds of learners, including students with IEPs and Emergent Bilingual students.

My Teach for America training fostered within me a student-centered approach to teaching. As a teacher, I strive to make content engaging and relatable for my students. My number one priority is to make students feel comfortable. No mistakes are bad mistakes. I teach with the goal of developing understanding and confidence with the material, for all my students. In working one-on-one with students, I believe that it is also important to get to know individuals' learning styles and preferences so that I can meet their unique needs. As someone who has worked with students struggling in math, and has struggled in math myself, I know that sometimes you just need to hear or see something explained in a different way in order to understand it!

I love math as a subject because once a student understands how to do something in math, they feel accomplished in a special way, and they can translate that understanding to other problems/concepts. My first math tutor was my dad; when I was in elementary school, he used to check over my math homework for mistakes. If I missed something, he would flag the problem and we would go back and find where I went wrong. Eventually, I began to check my own work, which continued to be a helpful habit on tests throughout high school and college.

In my free time, I enjoy doing anything outside, especially hiking and backpacking. I also enjoy reading fiction, cooking, and listening to podcasts.