"Hi I’m Nicole. I had always wanted to be a high school social worker because I have a soft spot for youngsters that struggle. I always had this urge to help them get through whatever troubles they were facing so they could be successful in life. But, when I became the mother of a special needs child, I chose a different path. I chose to stay home and care for my son until he was old enough to go to school. When he started kindergarten, I decided to find a position in the school system that allowed me to work with high school students, and still be able to be available to my son. I took a position as a high school para-educator, working with students with behavioral and emotional challenges. I later transferred to work in resource, where I worked with students that had various levels of learning ability. I fell in love with education, and my students. It was the most rewarding job I had ever had. I worked in special education for 17 years. I became well versed in the sophomore curriculum as that is where I was primarily assigned, but I also have experience working with the other high school grade levels. I often stayed after school on my own time and tutored students in geometry, biology, and world history.

My compassionate nature, patience level, and positive encouragement, help students to remain calm when they get frustrated. The need to think outside the box when working with my own son resulted in my becoming unique and creative when working with my students. I quickly learned that all students learn differently, and my experience has given me the ability to assess a student fairly quickly and find a style of academic support that works for them.

I have 12 years experience supporting students in multiple geometry classes. I often tutored students after school hours and held study sessions to prepare for tests and exams. I also helped students with major geometry projects. I often use a white board to display steps to solve math problems.

I spent 12 years supporting students in world hi" less...