About Me

Education is the gateway to opportunity. As an experienced teacher, I have a passion for facilitating student achievement. I bring the same expertise and energy to tutoring. As a team, the student and I will determine where the student is, where the student wants to be, and we will efficiently work to bridge this gap. I possess a B.S. degree in Deaf Education with concentrations in English and math from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and an M.A. degree in Linguistics from Gallaudet University, with additional graduate credits in education. I am certified in the areas of math, English, special education, and deaf education. I am currently in my eleventh year of full-time teaching. In my teaching career I have taught high school English and math courses at all levels, from remedial to Advanced Placement. I currently teach senior English courses, including Advanced Placement Literature and composition. During both my undergraduate and graduate studies, I served as a tutor for both math and English for college students, and as a TA (teaching assistant) in English and Linguistics. In the last several years, I have taught test preparation courses at Gallaudet University for teachers who will be taking the Praxis teacher certification exam in reading, writing, and math. In addition to experience teaching and tutoring various courses and levels of English and math, I have a wealth of experience in test preparation and test taking. As a student myself, I have personal experience preparing for and taking standardized tests. As a result of my ACT scores, I earned a full college scholarship. I also successfully completed AP exams in Calculus, Language and Composition, Literature and Composition, Government, Psychology, and Microeconomics. As a teacher I continue to prepare my students for standardized tests including the ACT, AP Literature and Composition exam, and Common Core assessments. Outside of my professional life, I enjoy a wide variety of interests. As an English teacher, reading is high on my list. I usually have at least two books going. I love sports, especially basketball. I follow the NBA, and root for my home team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. I enjoy cooking. Italian food is my specialty, though I cook many types of food. Another of my hobbies is music. I attend concerts frequently. I like a variety of types of music, but my favorites are blues and folk. My tutoring sessions start with a short conversation. I find out your goals for the session, and any concerns or challenges you have with the subject matter. Then, using your own materials, my materials, or a combination of the two, we begin to master the content through examples, explanation, modeling, and practice. Between sessions, I will often point the student toward additional resources that can be used in the student's own time to make our sessions more efficient. If the student is struggling with a concept, there is no reason to worry; I am able to give multiple strategies, explanations, and examples to meet any student's needs. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you as your personal tutor!

Education & Certifications

Q&A with David

Tutoring Subjects