I wanted to be a teacher from the time I graduated from high school. I had many excellent teachers from kindergarten through senior high school. They helped to shape me into a student who loved learning and enjoyed being at school. I graduated from Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, TN in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. I have taught for 29 years, and 27 of those years have been as a first grade teacher. I have had the privilege to tutor students "one on one" in person for 27 years. I have tutored several students for many years and was honored to watch them thrive in the classroom and be able to "catch up" with their peers in class and not struggle with learning. How rewarding that was! I have also tutored online for several years and helped many students learn the English language. Reading is my favorite subject to teach. A favorite quote is "A student learns to read from 1st - 3rd grade, and a student reads to learn from 3rd grade throughout his entire life." I have taught phonics extensively throughout my teaching career, and I'm a firm believer that if a student can learn to "sound out" words, reading sentences becomes so much easier. I have also worked with many students on reading comprehension. I ask lots of questions in class to help make sure my students are focusing on the lesson material. I strive to make my students comfortable with my teaching from day one so that I can assess what they already know and then build on that foundation to find out what they do not know and set goals to help them reach their goals. I love teaching, and it is a passion for me. I strive to teach each child just like he/she were my own child. Children need dedicated, caring teachers! They need to know their teacher wants them to excel and will do "whatever it takes" to help them succeed not just as a student but as a future adult.