I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Writing, and my Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Pittsburgh. I was awarded a Master of Education in Administration from Shenandoah University. I've also taken seven special education courses beyond my master's degrees. I have a great deal of experience in teaching students with a variety of special needs. I began my career as a teacher in 1992 and worked full-time in middle schools and high schools teaching English, Humanities and Social Studies courses. I've taught at two of the Top 100 high schools in America. I received a number of awards during my career, and my students' standardized test scores were always first within my school and grade-level. In 2009, I took an early retirement from public schools and began teaching college, including Penn State-Mont Alto, Montgomery College and Frederick Community College. The subjects I tutor include English, writing, literature, philosophy, anthropology, sociology and any hybrid English/social studies course that might be offered. I love teaching all of those courses. My teaching philosophy is basically that every student is a unique learner who brings different skills and challenges. Therefore, my first job as a tutor is to analyze each student's learning style, strengths, weaknesses, and motivations and tailor an individual growth plan for that student based on those findings. Tutoring, like teaching, is both art and science. My experience in working with thousands of students over the years has taught me crucial elements of both aspects and I am very anxious and excited to bring my skills to your learner to maximize his or her potential. Finally, when I'm not teaching or tutoring you can find me outdoors hiking, biking, skiing or on the water. I love reading, travel and sports. I'm loyal to my childhood teams from growing up in Pittsburgh. I very much enjoy my work at Varsity Tutors and hope to hear from you soon.