My Teaching Philosophy

As a teacher and private coach with a diverse range of experiences, I have come to appreciate that learning can be a highly creative and transformative opportunity. At its best, education is a process that offers students unique avenues to find their personal voice and participate whole-heartedly in the world around them. On the flipside, school and learning can also be really challenging. Even when schools have excellent classroom teachers and engaging curricula, kids might feel a bit confused or like they're not quite "getting it.” That’s where I come in.

I support kids to help fill in the gaps within their learning journey. Pulling from my extensive background in both the arts and academics, I blend traditional tutoring with creative play. Elizabeth Dewitt, a curriculum specialist at Learning Without Tears, says, “Children cannot help but remember the concepts being taught when the teaching experience involves seeing it, building it, singing or dancing about it…and then having a discussion or doing dramatic or pretend play related to it” (1). I deeply value the importance of play and experiential learning, so I always incorporate movement, lively conversation, and games into my academic instruction.  Subsequently, students become more engaged and better able to understand whatever concept we’re exploring. 

Not only does this make learning more fun, it actually deepens the learning process. Research has shown the "the ability of the brain to develop and maintain neural connections is based on new movement and play experiences of young children” (2). In the early years of children’s lives, movement and play opportunities and explorations are essential to healthy development of both the body and the mind. I therefore aim to make one-on-one learning sessions an embodied experience for kids in order to deepen their learning. 

We move, we play, and we learn.

Learning is a spiral.

We learn some, forget some, learn something new.

Learning happens through many tries -

sometimes falling, flailing, fearing what we don't know.

Not yet seeing

how strong we actually are.

Beyond the perfect grade,

learning is a process of being lost and getting found.

Let's feel brave enough to try -

to stand in the space between the known and the unknown

In my own K-12 learning journey, there were times when I got a 4.7 GPA and times when I got a 2.5 GPA. I know what it’s like to struggle and just not "get it". I also know what it's like to discover that thing that makes learning come alive again. I know that perfect grades don’t always mean personal fulfillment, and I know that deep and rich learning can happen even when perfect grades don’t. 

I also appreciate that learning happens in a context of being a whole person. In other words, what’s happening in our personal lives always impacts our academic lives. So I make it a point to partner with parents and teachers to figure out how to support each child's journey both at home and at school. I help create a team between parents and teachers so together we can help students navigate their own personal successes and challenges. 

While better grades are typically a direct result from my work with kids, I am more concerned with helping my students become engaged, resilient learners for the long-run. Building a solid educational foundation far outlasts any markings on a student’s report card.

If my approach resonates with you and you’re looking for a guide for your child, please feel free to reach out! I would love to speak with you.

References:

1. Dewitt as cited in Borst, Heidi. “The Importance of Learning Through Play.” www.usnews.com, US News and World Report, Dec. 10, 2021.

2. Choosy Kids quoted by Amor-Zitzelberger, Jacqueline. “Movement Builds a Child’s Brain.” extension.psu.edu, Penn State Extension, May 18, 2020.