Compassion & Change
Introduction
I’ve been interested in education and learning as far back as I can remember. There are many educators in my family and ancestry. When I was a child, my father taught in the Education Department at UCLA and went on to do research for Los Angeles Unified School District.
I have been a credentialed educator in California since 1994. My two grown sons and I are neurodiverse. In my own education, when things took a turn for the worse for me in Middle School, I enrolled in a progressive high school. I had always thought about being a teacher. Still, my interest in education methods started there, as I noticed the marked differences in the methods used in mainstream schools versus my private, progressive school. I have taught in many settings, including mainstream public schools, private schools, and homeschool co-ops. As I raised my two amazing boys, I also learned a lot about the special education system.
Presently I own a private tutoring business for homeschoolers, including those with disabilities. (You can learn more about what I do at Encourage Education.) My slogan is “Authentically Personalized Education.” I strive to provide a tutoring experience that meets the interests and needs of each individual learner and family. Writing is my main focus, but I also cover other areas of language arts, and I integrate history content if the family desires it. I’m also trained in teaching handwriting (print and cursive), something that many schools do not cover. Many times, when a parent comes to me with a child who “won’t write,” I find that the physical process of writing is the real problem.
I started this blog to write about the things I’ve learned - and am still learning - about the best ways to educate children. Every child is different, so I believe in personalized learning, but I feel some environments and approaches are better overall. I’ll also share some success stories about my students.
If you want to read more of my thoughts, please subscribe. I would also like to hear your questions about homeschooling, self-directed learning, personalized learning, and other topics in progressive education. I may have some insights.