My specialty and greatest passion in tutoring is math, but I also offer language arts, science (particularly biology), Spanish, Latin, and social studies. I am well trained in essay writing as well.
As a tutor, I try to focus on skills over content. I believe that children must learn the strategies for finding and integrating new information in ways that are enjoyable to them. As they develop these skills, they absorb more and more content naturally.
Most of my students face challenges around organization, will power, and/or focus (all things I also struggled with as a child, and have since overcome). I have accumulated a wide repertoire of strategies and systems for every part of learning, such as absorbing, retaining, and expressing information and knowledge, building confidence, and finding fun in any material. Especially with younger students, I often make a game of whatever they are working on, which significantly increases enthusiasm and motivation. My proudest achievements in tutoring are when parents tell me their child has suddenly become excited about math or reading, and is now excelling in their schoolwork, even if that means they don’t need me as a tutor anymore.
“Before I started working with Miss Birdy, my math test scores were in the 70s, but after a few weeks working with her, I have started scoring in the 90s. She finds the best way to explain concepts to me based on how I learn. She has also helped me develop skills for organizing my assignments and my time. She gives me tools and structure that help me to be more confident and also a better student.”
– Julián, Hunter 8th grader, tutoree
Experience & Education:
- Babysitting since 2002
- Teaching since 2009
- Certified in TEFL and TESOL
- Two years assistant teaching at Hunter Elementary.
- Eight years attending Hunter Elementary (foundation for divergent thinking skills).
- Six years attending Hunter High School (foundation for writing skills).
- Studied Education at Barnard College (Columbia University), and at SUNY New Paltz with a concentration in Math.
- Volunteered at Hogar de Vida, an orphanage in Alajuela, Costa Rica
- Link to my full CV