"Hi! My name is Madison, and I'm currently a student at Western Governors University in their Master of Arts in Teaching program, where I'm working towards my teaching licensure in English Language arts! (And hopefully soon, biology!) Right now, I'm doing my Student Teaching internship, which gives me the opportunity to apply what I've learned in my program in a real classroom setting. Prior to this, in 2022, I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Seattle Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature.

Over the years, I've had the pleasure of working with a diverse range of students, both as a tutor in my community and as a special education paraeducator where I've worked in middle and high school settings but also supported students in late elementary grades. In these contexts, I mostly provided assistance in groups and in one-on-one settings and, occasionally, led whole class instruction. Through these experiences, I've realized how important it is to meet each student where they're at by taking the time to get to know them, making them feel "seen" and valued, and recognizing and adapting to their individual learning style.

My focus as a tutor is to help students believe in themselves and build confidence to take risks in their learning. I always remember my 6th grade teacher who taught me the power of "yet" and helped me to believe in myself and in my abilities. My hope is to be that person for another student.

In teaching and tutoring, my approach is to help students understand not just WHAT something is but WHY and HOW; this sort of thinking can teach students to apply their knowledge as opposed to memorizing it, which is the goal! Additionally, I also make it a point to connect the material to our lives and the real world. After all, why learn something if it seems to have no real purpose?

Overall, working in education so far has been rewarding, and my hope is to continue this with Wyzant!" less...