I am currently tutoring and writing curriculum following eight years in the classroom and eight years as a stay at home mom. In Wake County, I taught at Olive Chapel Elementary in Apex and at Briarcliff Elementary in Cary. Previous to having children, I also taught fourth and fifth grade in Virginia. Having lived on both the west coast and the east coast, I am a beach girl at heart. My family moved to the Apex area around 20 years ago, and I have two grown daughters. I love reading, drinking strong coffee, black licorice, being involved in church activities, and my family. I dislike amphibians, dirty floors, overdue library books, bad coffee, and disorganization. Over the past few years, I have quickly become hooked on clean eating, digital graphic designs, world travel with just a carry on bag, and new ways to use technology.
I am often asking intentional questions to get people thinking and expressing their ideas. (Are you more like a pencil or a bus?) My favorite part of teaching is those moments when I can see “the light come on” for a student when knowledge and understanding click or a student grins with joy as they discover confidence in a subject even if I had to look super hard to find the switch! I look forward to many of those moments in teaching and tutoring! When I am not substitute teaching, curriculum writing, or tutoring, I am often found hanging out with my mom, having coffee with a friend, taking long walks with friends, teaching a class on healthy eating or Bible study, hosting “coffeehouse” for 40+ teens from church at my house, or having a potluck dinner where not all my guests know eachother. I love to help others tailor joy in their lives!
I “retired” from the classroom when my aging parents needed more care and now my mom lives with us. Working from home is an ideal situation for me right now! When Covid-19 canceled schools in early 2020, I immediately switched all tutoring sessions online following the same format as in person. The transition was smooth and allowed consistent interaction with my clients while filling gaps and helping to navigate e-learning.
Contact me:
tailorjoytutoring (at) gmail.com
Professional Training
Teaching English as a Second Language (Alison Certificate)
Advanced Web Tools for Literacy Instruction
Daily 5 and CAFÉ training and implementation
Professional Learning Communities and Response to Intervention training and participation
Teacher Leader for Literacy
Race to the Top and Common Core professional development
Empowering Writers Expository and Narrative professional development and implementation
60 hours counseling training with Association of Certified Biblical Counselors
CERT (Community Emergency Response Training)
Red Cross certification for CPR and First Aid 2012 – updated regularily
Wake County Public School teacher (elementary)- retired
Wake County Public School teacher substitute (elementary, middle, high, special needs)- current
North Carolina Early Childhood Credential 2003
North Carolina Teacher Certification License (K-6) 2003 – present
Virginia Teacher Certification License (K-8) 1993 – 2003
ACSI certification 1993 – 1996
Bachelor of Science, teacher certification – Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 1993
Additional Coursework in English and Psychology
Tailor Joy Education 