I believe that the most critical aspect of teaching a foreign language is getting a student interested and excited to practice it, and I have developed many successful strategies to do this, through tutoring and through studying languages myself. I also have particular experience with ACT test prep—from taking classes as I prepared for the ACT to later helping others study for it. College entrance tests can be so important for determining a student's options in their continuing education, and I am committed to helping students achieve the highest scores they are capable of. I work with students to identify the subject areas they need to improve on and the testing strategies that work best for them individually. My liberal arts education exposed me to a great diversity of different learners, and helped me understand the many different learning styles that students have. I have consequently developed an adaptable teaching style to fit this variety of students’ needs. My personal favorite teaching experience was my time as a guide at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, where I took groups of scouts out on week-long horseback pack trips through the mountains. I would start with kids who often had no horse experience and throughout the week I taught them everything from riding skills and horse care to proper packing and wilderness camping procedures. Seeing those kids packing their packhorses in half the time and confidently racing their horses around barrels by the last day—the same kids who had been fumbling to lift their saddles on the first day—was the most amazing feeling. That’s when I realized I loved teaching.

horses, hiking, camping, waterskiing, art history, languages, traveling, mountains