I hold my Elementary Teaching Degree from Bemidji State University, my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction K-12 from the University of St. Thomas, and a current Minnesota Teaching License. I retired almost 3 years ago after teaching for 34 wonderful years in the public school system, teaching 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade. There were so many things that I loved about teaching that my friends wondered why I was retiring. But, I have been blessed with three grandchildren on opposite ends of the country, and if I want to have fun with them, I need to be available. This led me to spend the next four years teaching English as a Second Language online to students aged 3-16, for which I hold TSOL and TFEL certificates. I found out that genuine, meaningful relationships can be formed virtually. And this love of teaching flexibly, online, brought me to Varsity Tutors. My first love of teaching is making students feel like they can learn anything, cheering them on, and making them love learning. Students want to know that you truly care about and believe in them, and I do! While I am available to teach many subjects, and I truly love them all, reading, writing, math, and English as a Second Language are my favorites. I am passionate about teaching students to not only read, but to LOVE reading! I excel at diagnosing current reading skills, and determining what they still need to learn in order to move them to the next level. I take into consideration their fluency, accuracy, comprehension, and reading strategies that they employ, and what ones they need to practice. If you can read, you can learn anything! I love teaching math, and making reluctant math students realize their inner math genius! I understand that not all learners learn the same way. I am very willing to teach them more than one way to solve a problem and help them become an expert at the way that works for them. I love teaching writing! I was fortunate to get to train under author Beth Olshansky in the art of pictures and image making. This is such a motivating way to teach students how to write, honing all of the skills necessary, including all of the traits of good writing, while the student creates a piece to be proud of. This makes the student want to write more! It is a writing strategy that works for young and older learners alike! I enjoy filling my days with traveling, baking, reading, and playing with my grandkids. In the summer I paddleboard almost daily, and in the winter I love to snowshoe. I hope to see you soon!