Experience Summary
From 1980-1989 I worked as a Program Coordinator for a Developmental Achievement Center for mentally handicapped adults. My responsibilities included teaching, preparing learning materials for basic reading, personal finance, and vocational skills, implementing behavior programs, supervising 7 staff members, and writing quarterly lesson plans and progress reports. I also spent a couple of hours per week for 2 years, tutoring my blind supervisor on the use of computers.
In 1992, I went back to college to pursue my true passion, and earned a degree in mathematics and computer science. During this time, I volunteered a couple of hours per week tutoring secondary students in math, and elementary students in reading. After college, I started my own company providing website development, database programming, and custom software for small businesses.
Teaching Style
I love to learn, and when sharing that knowledge, my ultimate goal is to leave the student with a spark that will hopefully motivate them to pursue the subject above and beyond the lesson. Motivation, learning style, and goal structure are components I consider when setting up a lesson. As a computer programmer, I tend to be task oriented. I like to break a project into smaller chunks with clear boundaries. I believe that having the student participate in defining these goals helps them focus, keeps them from getting overwhelmed, and gives them a way to measure their own success. In addition, the teacher needs to ensure the student is motivated to learn by providing materials and methods that are of interest to the student, and match his/her learning style.