Katie

I am an experienced teacher with a background in elementary education and a strong passion for helping students succeed. Since 2018, I've worked as both a classroom teacher and tutor, creating engaging and supportive learning environments for a range of grade levels. I hold a bachelor's degree from Indiana University, a master's in Education from Ball State University, and a current teaching license.

Tutoring Style

My tutoring style is structured, with clear goals to guide each session. I like to keep the learning environment lighthearted and fun, using humor and encouragement to make students feel comfortable. I adapt lessons to each student's pace and encourage them to ask questions freely, building both understanding and confidence.

Success Story

Math:

One of my most memorable success stories came from my time as a third-grade classroom teacher. I was working with a student who was struggling with grade-level math concepts, particularly multiplication and division. In meeting with her and her parents at the beginning of the year, they expressed that math brought her anxiety, which often led to her shutting down when given problems to work on independently. Math had been a challenging subject for years and caused her anxiety not only at school, but also at home when she was doing homework.

Through the use of initial assessments, I determined that she benefited from a more hands-on approach and was able to better understand problems that were relevant to her. We adapted her lessons to include hands-on activities, games, real-life examples, and mini-projects. By working together, we built her confidence, celebrating each success along the way.

By the end of the school year, she was solving multi-step problems independently, participating in class discussions, and helping her peers. Her newfound confidence sent her into fourth grade with a positive outlook, feeling excited about math.

ELA:

One of my most meaningful success stories is with a 5th grade student who transferred mid-year with a new diagnosis of dyslexia. She arrived feeling discouraged and frustrated, while falling behind grade-level peers in her reading skills. Through working together a few times each week, we explored how dyslexia impacted her learning and established strategies that matched her strengths. By the end of the school year, she felt understood, gaining new clarity with her diagnosis. She left 5th grade reading two levels higher than when she entered, and showed more confidence in her reading skills.

Social Studies:

My first year teaching fifth grade, I had a student who strongly disliked social studies. In our beginning-of-the-year conference, he told me he didn't see the point of learning about history. I knew I wanted to change his perspective, so I focused on making lessons more interactive and relatable.

During a unit on Native tribes and early settlers, I wanted students to understand the impact of Native culture and land being taken from them. I asked students to draw something they considered their "sacred space" - usually their homes or families. I pulled my social-studies-skeptic student aside and explained my plan: to show the impact of loss, I would tear up a student's drawing in front of the class - and he would be in on it. He was excited to help and had his "acting hat" on.

Back in class, I questioned his drawing and ripped it in half. The class was shocked. I explained the purpose of the demonstration, and he proudly revealed the trick. It was a powerful moment, and an exciting introduction to our unit. From then on, he was fully engaged in social studies and loved every opportunity to help teach his peers.

Hobbies & Interests

When I'm not tutoring, I enjoy making art - whether it's painting, sewing, or drawing. I also love reading, especially stories with a touch of magic and adventure. When I'm with my friends, I like playing board games or taking our dogs to the dog park!