Shakira

Certified Tutor

I received my Bachelors in Human Development and Family Studies from Indiana University-Bloomington and my Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis from Southeast Missouri State University. I have over 7 years of experience with tutoring all grades (K-12), primarily, students who have executive functioning deficits, ADD/ADHD, autism, and other related developmental disorders.

I tutor mainly in Elementary and Middle School Math, African American History, High School and College level English, and High School, College level Writing, Executive Functioning, and American Sign Language. My favorite subject is American Sign Language and African American History because I enjoy the content from both subjects. In my experience, my students experience the most success with my tutoring because I used a variety of individualized teaching methods that best suited for the learner. I truly enjoy seeing my students achieve their ah-ha moments, confidence, and improve their grades.

My teaching philosophy is based on Skinner's theory of learning- Positive Reinforcement (Radical Behaviorism)! My belief is that every student has the ability to learn anything when their efforts are reinforced, inspired, and encouraged to keep striving. I use errorless teaching (a technique used to eliminate frustration and increase the probability of maintaining engagement for nonpreferred activities/subjects) to prevent and eliminate frustration with subjects that may be difficult for them.

My interests outside of tutoring are yoga, dance, educating, traveling, and playing fun board games with friends and family.