As a special ed teacher I taught all subjects in my classroom which was primarily 5th-8th grades. My classes had students of multiple grades together so my teaching related to a variety of grades and ability levels. I also assisted in the regular education classrooms at times. I am familiar with IEP's, having written them and taught towards the goals in them. I have spent considerable time working to prepare my students for standardized tests required by the state or district. While taking classes towards my certification I worked as a one to one aide in two different school districts in Chicago's northwest suburbs. While I taught all subjects, I am most comfortable tutoring elementary language arts, reading and writing, US History and some elementary mathematics. For several recent years I was a tutor with Oakton Community College's VITA Program where ESL adults worked weekly to improve their reading fluency, phonics and writing abilities. Because of my special education background, my philosophy towards learning is that everyone has a different and often unique way that they learn. Finding that method is what I try to determine so I can help them improve whatever subject they have difficulty with. I love to read myself and read the classics, mystery, action novels and because I do like history, I have read many biographies on American figures and the eras they lived. For me, reading opens us up to a world of new interests to explore as well as basic daily functioning and I consider it a vital skill. I have a BA in Communications from Loyola University of Chicago and an MA in Special Education from Northeastern Illinois University.

Besides reading, I enjoy traveling when possible, and have been in most every area of the United States and a few countries in Europe. The outdoors have always been interesting and fishing is something I enjoy. I like sports of all sorts, and follow the C