Sabra

Certified Tutor

I had my first experience working with students to improve their academic performance when I was in 7th grade. I volunteered at a local elementary school helping 4th graders in math, reading comprehension, and Spanish. Watching the kids I worked with grow in their understanding of the material and develop a genuine interest in what they were learning inspired me to continue volunteering with different schools. Over the years I have helped students from nine to fourteen succeed in subjects that previously daunted them.
Currently, I tutor students in math through Algebra 1, all levels of Spanish (including IB language courses and tests), Public Speaking, IB History HL, and the IB Extended Essay. While I enjoy teaching all of these subjects, Spanish is by far my favorite. Growing up in the Spanish Immersion program helped me develop a passion not only for the language, but also for bilingual education. When I came to realize that not all students were given the opportunity to learn a second language from such a young age, I became an adamant supporter of improving the way foreign languages are taught in this country. Through tutoring, I hope to increase the number of bilingual students and help nurture the cultural awareness that goes along with learning another language.
My passion for Spanish extends beyond my work with students. I am currently working toward getting a Bacheolor's Degree in Spanish at Clark University with the ultimate goal of attending graduate school and earning a PhD. Before attending Clark I graduated from Cleveland High School with a full IB diploma.
Aside from my Spanish Immersion background and my successful completion of the IB program, my experience as a captain on my high school's Speech and Debate team has helped improve my ability to work with students. I actually developed my teaching style through the challenges I faced as a captain. The group I was responsible for my Junior year mainly consisted of speech kids. Most of the exercises our coach gave us to help them practice, though, were meant to hone debate skills. I ended up researching other activities and tailoring them to better suit the needs of my group. That's one of the reasons I enjoy tutoring students one on one. That kind of environment allows me to alter my methods and techniques in order to fit the student's learning style and help them meet their specific goals in each subject area.
Outside of tutoring I like to spend my free time swimming and reading. I am a small group leader for the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter on campus and I'm the president of Clark Fitness. I also play percussion and the drum set for the worship team at my church.
I look forward to helping students connected with Varsity Tutors improve their performance in school and discover how exciting learning can be!