Brittany
Certified Tutor
Hi there. I have a Bachelors in elementary education and am endorsed in special education, math, science, social science, and language arts. I hold a Learning Behavior Specialists degree (LBS1). Currently, I teach 3rd-5th grade special education in Gurnee School District 56. It is my second year here and I work with students who have learning disabilities as well as behavioral/ emotional disabilities. Prior to that, I taught a reading intervention program in Waukegan for middle schoolers. I was an aide in Deerfield School district for students with severe autism in a Life Skills classroom for 2.5 years. I student taught in a 2nd grade placement, followed by a 4th grade placement in Buffalo Grove. I have tutored before and I love to develop connection and build positive relationships with the students I teach.
I have an endorsement in math. I have taken many classes on math theory. More importantly, I currently teach math to special education students and have many techniques and strategies I use to help students to succeed and understand math. I use manipulatives, various application on the IPADS, real life situation, visuals, and many other strategies to encourage and help to develop math skills.
I am endorsed in language arts. I love teaching language arts because there is such a wide array of resources available to students. I think reading is the foundation for all other subjects and I am very invested in making sure students have foundational skills to carry. With English, there are many components such as phonics, vocabulary, spelling, comprehension, and grammar (to name a few.) Through my experience, I have gained knowledge in how to deliver research-based practices to help children to be good readers.
As stated above, I have had over 5 years of teaching experience. I love to work with students and having a special education background really helps me to relate to students who do face learning difficulties. I am patient and responsible. I am reliable and children seem to really trust me. I am also endorsed in multiple subject areas.
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Undergraduate Degree: Illinois State University - Bachelor of Science, Special Education
Hanging out with my family/ friends, watching TV, reading
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Reading
- English
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Reading Comprehension
- Middle School Writing
- Other
- PARCC Prep
- Phonics
- Special Education
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Test Prep
- Writing
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In a typical first session, I would give my student information about me. I would tell them about my hobbies, interests, and family. More importantly, I would want to learn about THEM (the student). I would want to see what motivates them, what subjects they enjoy, what subjects they struggle with, etc. I might also provide a fun little survey that they can take so I can get to know them.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I think that you can help a student to become an independent learner by teaching them/ modeling the concept first. You then have them practice the skill with you. Finally, you allow them to have independent/ individual practice to give them confidence to complete the skill independently.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would use hands-on techniques and strategies to make the concept clearer. For example, I might use a mini-clock if discussing how to tell time. I might use base 10 blocks for teaching place value. If I was teaching fractions, I might have the student create a "pie/ pizza" and have slices cut equally. I would use these pieces to model how fractions work. Allowing students to use manipulatives/ hands-on strategies is the best way to allow for understanding.