Private Tutoring in Reading, Numbers & Speech

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Donna Doherty • Denver, CO • $45 per hour

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If you're anxious about your preschooler/kindergartner getting ready for school and haven't done the prep work, or just you don't know how or where to begin, lucky you! Here I am and I do!

Children and babies are very comfortable around me and I'm very patient, but firm. I'm a licensed/certified preschool through middle school retired teacher, ready to help you get your little ones up to speed. There's nothing worse for a child to start out by already being behind the rest of the children in the classroom. It's much harder playing "catch up" than just being prepared ahead of time. That's where the issue of good self-esteem really begins, or sadly for some, ends.

Even moms with babies can be shown how to interact with your babies and begin "teaching" in a way that the baby finds enjoyable and playful. Babies are not born with a blank slate. They are ready to learn as soon as 6 months old.

If you are a mom with friends in the same boat, I would certainly consider working with 2 or 3 moms together with your babies to teach you how to teach at home during 1/2 hour lessons at special rates.

For school age children (6-12), lessons are geared to keeping them current and practicing their reading and basic math skills, if needed, so they don't lose them over the summer break.

Reading and reading comprehension is probably the most important skill of all. It requires the ability to think, understand and make sense of the world around them for the rest of their lives. Confident kids, who do better in school, are less likely to bully or be bullied and in general do better, later in life. Again, parents may bring a child's friend (2 students) for a special rate.

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Question and answer

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. How will I know the right person to work with me (my child)? Are you comfortable with your initial conversation with this person? Do they seem/act confident and do they have the right education/skill sets to teach the material? Do they believe in cookie cutter style teaching in general? Are they willing to personalize/customize the lessons required to achieve the final goal? Have they had any successes or been recognized in their field? Are they considered a reputable and respected member with their peers? Are they flexible with methods and alternative solutions to problems that might crop up?

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love being able to "turn on the light" in someone's head, and show them that they are entirely capable of doing something they never thought they could do before. I love watching people become engrossed in the situation and so concentrated that they lose track of time and when the lesson is over, they're actually disappointed that it went so fast and can't wait to come back to do more and learn more. I love taking someone that is at one level and bringing them forward several levels to the point that they are confident and happy to show off their new skills. I love seeing the confidence and high self esteem that comes with achieving a troublesome and longtime seemingly unachievable goal.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. At one time I was teaching two sisters (11 and 14) together every week for a two hour session of dance/singing. The older sister was looking at competing in the Miss Teen Colorado and wanted to do a tap routine to 42nd Street. When she came to me, I told her if she really wanted to learn it, she would have to work on this and nothing else because the contest was in a month. Well they both did and mastered the routine and when the older sister came back from the competition she told me that when she performed the tap routine, one of the judges not only loved her performance, but told her that in the 5 years she had studied tap, she didn't get this far...and the girls had only been tap dancing for 6 months with me.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. People underestimate the preparation time it takes when planning individual lessons and that when they come for a lesson, you've already spent quite a bit of time getting materials or choreography or whatever ready to use for them to teach the lesson. Prep time is often much longer than the time the lesson takes to do. Also, just like anyone else would expect, the teacher is a professional and should be treated as such in terms of showing up on time or calling ahead with sufficient time if you are not able to attend. Just because you forget or just decide to skip one doesn't negate a courtesy call and you should expect to be charged for the time you were supposed to be there.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. Why should I study privately instead of just going to a school, taking a class online or taking a group class? There is absolutely no comparison between studying privately and studying in a group setting. ONe on one teaching is the ultimate way to learn anything. When all the focus is on you, how you learn, how fast/slow you pick things up, your learning style and current level of ability, there are no interruptions or waiting for others to be attended to (wasting your precious time) and you don't have to repeat things you've already mastered just because the rest of the class needs it. It's also more fun because every minute, the learning is based on your needs and current level, there is no wasted time or time to just sit/stand around and be bored. You will also get results 3 or 4 times faster because it is so concentrated.

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Donna Doherty

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