Kendra C.

Elementary Math Tutoring This is one of my top subjects!

Math was my favorite subject in school and I am confident in my Math skills and ability to teach it.

Experience Summary

My classroom experience with Special Education started while in college at Illinois State University, where I gained very valuable experience teaching in a variety of classrooms. For one semester, I taught in a junior high life-skills classroom where we practiced daily living skills and went out into the community so the students could practice skills such as locating items in a store, paying with money, and crossing the street. Then I spent my Fieldbase semester at two different schools. The first one was 4th and 5th grade students with learning disabilities. There, I taught them the core subjects of Math, Reading, and Writing, and went into their regular education classes to help them with study skills, Science, and Social Studies. The second classroom was a high school classroom for students with emotional disturbance. There, I taught Health, English, and Vocational Education to students of all ability levels, ranging from severe cognitive impairments, learning disabilities, and students who were gifted. In student teaching, I also spent one semester in two different schools. The first school was a K-3 self-contained classroom, where I taught all subjects as well as daily living skills. The second school was a mixture of different high school classrooms. I taught Vocational Education to students of all ages with cognitive impairments, Sophomore Speech and English in a general education setting that included students with learning disabilities, and an English RTI program to freshman students with specific learning disabilities in Reading. Now, I am a second year Special Education teacher in LaSalle County. I have a K-5, self-contained, life-skills classroom where I teach basic Reading, Writing, and Math as well as daily living skills to students with cognitive impairments.

Teaching Style

From my experience, I have realized that students learn faster and retain the information they learned longer if a tactile, hands-on approach is used. Currently, I teach K-5 students, and no matter what I'm teaching, I try to turn it into an educational game where the students are up and moving and having fun while learning. Each one exceeded my expectations and learned far more than anyone could have imagined. I truly believe in finding the style of learning that suits each student, and pursuing that particular route. And I have found that you can include each learning style by using a tactile approach. It is extremely simple to add in visual and auditory components within hands-on activities. I love finding new ideas and fun ways to teach each subject!

My Hobbies

My favorite pass time and passion outside of the classroom is cooking. I have learned from both of my grandmothers, my own mother, and any other family member or friend who has been willing to teach me something new! I also enjoy cooking dishes from other countries, which ties in to my other hobby and passion: traveling. I have been to a couple of different countries, and have become infatuated with learning about other cultures. I like to bring these experiences and lessons I have learned abroad back to the classroom.

All Subjects I Tutor

• ADD/ADHD
• Basic Learning Skills
• Dyslexia
• Elementary Grammar

• Elementary Math
• Elementary Phonics
• Elementary Reading
• Elementary Science

• Elementary Social Studies
• Elementary Study Skills
• Elementary Vocabulary
• Homework Help

• Special Education
• Study Skills
• Writing Skills