Professional Background:
I am a certified teacher who has taught all grades and subjects at a PreK-12 online school. I have a master's degree in Educational Technology and a graduate certificate in Online Teaching. I currently work as a graduate teaching assistant at Oklahoma State University while completing a Ph.D. program in Learning, Design, and Technology. Before I was a teacher, I used to work as an RF engineer in telecommunications. My background places me in a position to help students in K-12 and higher education understand real-world experiences working in a STEM career.

Why Work with Me?
I am passionate about helping students succeed in their courses while discovering new things about themselves. I understand what it feels like to struggle because I have a learning disability. However, I learned to overcome these challenges and use these traits to enhance my performance at my job and schoolwork. For example, divergent thinking works for my benefit by allowing me to see new ways to solve difficult problems. I also use educational technology tools and creative methods to improve reading comprehension. However, these skills are suitable for all students to learn, not just students with learning disabilities.

I see students as they are now and who they will become. Since I view students as scholars, I have high expectations for them, including academic responsibility, increased organizational skills, and reflecting on their learning. They receive scaffolding to meet these expectations and thus experience academic and personal growth. I want students to feel confident when thinking about their studies. These reasons drove my decision to become a tutor with Varsity Tutors.
The best rewards for me as a tutor arise during those times students realize their potential and have that "A-HA!" moment. I watch them confidently tackle a challenging assignment and then say, "Way to go! I knew you could do it." Therefore, let's get started and help your scholar reach their potential!

Teaching Philosophy:
My decision to become a full-time educator stemmed from noticing the need for improved continuing education for adult students in telecommunications, desiring a more inclusive curriculum that factored in workers' culture, motivation, ability, and relevance to their jobs. Subsequently, I decided to attend school to become a corporate trainer and then return to the telecommunications world to deliver engaging training for engineers. However, after I began my master's program, I realized the need for improved instructional design and pedagogical practices is everywhere. Additionally, while working as a private tutor, students expressed concerns that they would perform better if their teachers supplied them with various means to complete assignments.
These experiences, in combination with my educational training, ignited a passion in me to develop instructional design materials and capitalize upon equitable teaching practice for the good of the classroom, both online and in-person instruction. I intend to tear down the stumbling blocks that prevent access to meaningful educational experiences to a diverse body of students. My mission consists of creating a culture that sets the stage for excellent academic content and instilling students with renewed confidence by providing scaffolding that allows them to learn in a way that suits their learning needs.
I believe that teachers can begin to create this environment by demonstrating civil actions towards students at all times because mutual respect between teachers and students is the cornerstone of learning. They must show civility towards students and others if they expect students to model this behavior. Teachers respect students by listening to the students' needs and appreciating their individualities. Subsequently, when students feel respected and heard, they are more likely to receive teachers' kind, affirming, and honest assessment of the students' work when they fail to meet their educational goals. In turn, these actions could increase students' motivation, allowing teachers to facilitate deeper learning by building upon prior knowledge, connecting learning objectives to student interests, and encouraging students to take more academic responsibility.
Another part of establishing a positive learning environment includes demonstrating how to ask for help, a significant teaching action that equips students to succeed in academia and future occupations. For many students, this is not an intuitive process. I have noticed that many students fail their classes because they either do not know they need help or do not ask for adequate support. Therefore, students working with me can acquire improved help-seeking skills by receiving instruction about how to ask for help from teachers, other educational staff, and their peers. I also teach students to seek help within learning management systems and other online educational platforms.
Once students understand how to ask for help, successful teachers can aid students' understanding of why and how they should learn new knowledge and subsequently advise students about how they can optimize their educational experiences. I achieve these goals by offering multiple modalities of accessing and retaining knowledge underpinned by a cognitive apprenticeship approach. By providing options, students connect new information to their existing knowledge base and life experiences. Next, dividing complex concepts into challenging yet achievable goals supplies students with improved retention. I also offer multiple opportunities to practice each task before moving forward to the next step and provide the correct level of assistance to aid the student. Since evaluating students' progress is paramount, assessment is essential for the learning cycle. Additionally, I assess student responses to my ideas and make corrections when required. I actively discern which kinds of actions are appropriate to pave the way for the highest levels of achievement.
I also believe that teachers are charged to do more than teach lesson plans; I instead strive to create an environment where innovative thinkers and extraordinary leaders emerge. As an educator, I am responsible for assisting students in meeting the future demands of college, industry, and technology by bolstering a positive attitude about learning that could lead to life-long fulfillment, creating a student-centered environment, and providing opportunities to learn 21st-century skills. I must equip students with the aptitudes and application of soft skills born from collective learning and emerging technologies by integrating appropriate learning experiences and technologies into daily routines. I accomplish this goal by immersing students in new technologies that improve instructional designs and finding outside resources that help students connect their learning to real-world experiences.