Light sparkles in the eyes of every engaged student, from K4 early readers to 12th-grade senior-thesis authors; and from dedicated life-long adult learners to "night-before-the-big-test" college-crammers. Fifteen years as both private and contracted tutor has profoundly enriched me as witness of the light of knowledge emerging in receptive minds. For me, tutoring must be more than a lecture session starring *me.* Instead, I seek to thoughtfully engage each student in dialogue, using open-ended questions: "What did you notice about that letter?" or "If you were building a city, what would you do?" or "Why do you think looking at the twinkling stars inspired ancient scientists to develop systems of mathematics?" Such questions help create an environment in which new ideas are safe, exciting, and heard. Although math was always my favorite subject in school, I also find such joy in tutoring communication arts as an adult. Leading students to effectively communicate their knowledge impacts literally every course of study, no matter the age or field. The foundation concepts of communication and literacy, laid well, produce life-improving fruits that will accompany each individual throughout life's duration. That's amazing to me! Third grade thru high school, and college thru adult students benefit greatly from simple, straightforward methods of building words, sentences, paragraphs, and essays. Foreign language learning is a critical key of humanity's interdependent growth. While attending the University of Vienna, Austria, I had my first contracted tutor job with a group of soldiers from the Austrian army, teaching English as a second language. All these concepts lead seamlessly into the grammar needed for foreign language study. My BA in German language is a demonstration of this love of language. Additionally, I have studied 4 years of French, 2 years of Spanish, and recently began Mandarin Chinese. Truly, I eagerly anticipate working with you, as we journey, learning and growing together!

I enjoy time with my husband and our five children--reading, building, crafting, playing--together.