Julie

Certified Tutor

I have been teaching elementary-age children for the past 22 years. During that time, I have taught students from kindergarten through 5th grade. I began my love for working with children when I started babysitting as a teenager. As I continued my educational career at Georgia Southern University, I received a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education with a Minor in Music. As a child, I always had a love for music. I sang in the church choir as well as played handbells. Starting in 4th grade, I started playing the flute and continued participating in band throughout high school and college. During the summers, I was a camp counselor in an overnight summer camp located in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. I loved it! I got a chance to work with children and enjoy nature at the same time. Double whammy! I love spending time outdoors walking around my neighborhood, going on hiking trails, going camping with my family, and swimming. I also enjoy making all kinds of arts and crafts and playing board games.
After graduating college, I married the love of my life and we have 3 boys ages 19, 17, and 13. During that time, I worked in Title 1 Schools that had a lot of ESOL students. I enjoyed working with this population of students, so I got my ESOL Endorsement. Shortly after that, an ESOL teacher retired at my school, so I moved into her position and have been in that position for the past 5 years. After my first year, I wanted to learn more about language learners, so I went back to school and got my master's degree at Georgia State University in Elementary Education with a concentration in Dual Immersion.
I am a lifelong learner. Even today, after working all day at school, I come home and watch webinars, take extra classes, and read books to enrich my craft. I strive to find the most engaging, meaningful, and effective activities to help my students learn. Some of the trainings I have participated in are Orton Gillingham, LETRS (Science of Reading), and Kapan (Cooperative Learning).
I love to teach all content areas, but what I have found over the years is that using science helps engage students to get them excited about learning. Most children love science experiments and learning about the world around them. Making learning meaningful is important. If students are invested in their learning, they are more motivated and excited about learning. Once you plant that seed, students will run with it and be lifelong learners, problem solvers, and contributing members of society. It is more than just learning the standards; it's giving students the tools they need to be successful. Once they have confidence in themselves, there is no stopping them.