Leah: Roanoke tutor

Certified Tutor

My approach to teaching is student-centered. I work with each student's challenges and strengths in order to devise best approaches to goal-specific lessons. It's important to me that lessons are both enjoyable and clearly relevant to academic targets. My teaching style is warm, personable and creative.

I have a long and varied work history in teaching. I taught as an Elementary Classroom Teacher (mostly K-2) for five years, including my Master of Arts in Education (Willamette University, 2012). Prior to entering the Master's program, I developed skills in public schools for two years as a Classroom Aide (primarily leading reading groups).

My experience as Instructor of English to Speaker of Other Languages includes teaching English to adult ESL students (Linn Benton Community College) and teenagers (Azumano International) in 2014. I had the opportunity of a lifetime when I taught English through private companies in Japan (all ages, 2007-2010). My interest in assisting speakers of other languages began in 2006-2007, as I tutored English language through Berlitz Languages, Inc. During that time, I was also employed by Caltech (Pasadena, CA) helping international postdoctoral scholars adapt to a new life in the United States.

With a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (1999) my love of writing has never abandoned me. I greatly enjoy helping students of every age expand their writing skills. From elementary classroom work in Klamath Public Schools and Salem-Keizer Public Schools (2012-2017) to scoring high school student writing samples at Greater Albany Public Schools (2013-2014) to freelance editing post-graduate articles for submission to scientific journals (2005-2007) I've found pride in supporting writers with each assignment. I appreciate that writing can be a struggle, so I strive to help each student develop self-efficacy. Beyond the needs of any particular assignment, we can focus on strengthening the particular elements of writing, one at a time.