I am a Christian, wife, and mother of three beautiful and strong-willed girls, ages 17, 12 and 5. I love Jesus, my family and friends, the beach, the mountains, coffee and llamas!
But, I presume, here is what you really want to know - am I qualified to teach your child about U.S. Government, U.S. Economics, and an overview of American Law? Well, I believe so or I wouldn't have signed up for this gig! :-) I have an Associate's Degree in Legal Assisting and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. I have worked in the legal field for over 25 years in various positions, in small law firms and large law firms. I was a Deputy Clerk and Case Manager at the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis. To get above one of our rulings, you had to be heard by the United States Supreme Court. It was pretty cool working for the second highest court in the land (plus, I got to bang the gavel to open court - who doesn't want to do that??). While my experience is with the judicial branch of our government, both my education and experiences have brought me to the point of feeling comfortable teaching your children about U.S. government, economics, and american law. I've also taught in a paralegal program at a college level. I'm happy to provide specific details of my background to any of you who ask!
Now about Keyboarding / Software Applications? Years and years of in-depth use of MS Office suite. As for keyboarding - I spent my early years in the legal field as a Legal Secretary where typing by touch - very quickly - was a requirement!
So we've dealt with qualifications. Now - how am I as a teacher and what do I expect from your children? I would love to tell you that I'm one of those "fun" teachers that turns everything into a fun activity. But I'm not. Will we tell some jokes or say some funny things? Yes. But there won't be any "fun" projects and classroom antics won't be tolerated. These are all high school level classes for which a high school level of classroom decorum is expected. I will expect the students to come to class prepared and ready to discuss what was in their reading from the week before. There will be lecturing and probably PowerPoint slides from which I expect them to take notes - that is how they learn! We will have discussion. I want them to THINK. These classes will be heavy in writing assignments - not research, per se (though there may be some), but writing. I want them to think and be able to put those thoughts down on paper coherently. I'm not going to be the grammar or citation police, but the basics will be expected to be followed. I'm happy to help any student that struggles or, if beyond my help, find a fellow teacher/tutor who can. Please don't let these expectations scare you away if your child has learning disabilities - let's chat to see how I can help to accommodate those needs for your child.
But, I presume, here is what you really want to know - am I qualified to teach your child about U.S. Government, U.S. Economics, and an overview of American Law? Well, I believe so or I wouldn't have signed up for this gig! :-) I have an Associate's Degree in Legal Assisting and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. I have worked in the legal field for over 25 years in various positions, in small law firms and large law firms. I was a Deputy Clerk and Case Manager at the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis. To get above one of our rulings, you had to be heard by the United States Supreme Court. It was pretty cool working for the second highest court in the land (plus, I got to bang the gavel to open court - who doesn't want to do that??). While my experience is with the judicial branch of our government, both my education and experiences have brought me to the point of feeling comfortable teaching your children about U.S. government, economics, and american law. I've also taught in a paralegal program at a college level. I'm happy to provide specific details of my background to any of you who ask!
Now about Keyboarding / Software Applications? Years and years of in-depth use of MS Office suite. As for keyboarding - I spent my early years in the legal field as a Legal Secretary where typing by touch - very quickly - was a requirement!
So we've dealt with qualifications. Now - how am I as a teacher and what do I expect from your children? I would love to tell you that I'm one of those "fun" teachers that turns everything into a fun activity. But I'm not. Will we tell some jokes or say some funny things? Yes. But there won't be any "fun" projects and classroom antics won't be tolerated. These are all high school level classes for which a high school level of classroom decorum is expected. I will expect the students to come to class prepared and ready to discuss what was in their reading from the week before. There will be lecturing and probably PowerPoint slides from which I expect them to take notes - that is how they learn! We will have discussion. I want them to THINK. These classes will be heavy in writing assignments - not research, per se (though there may be some), but writing. I want them to think and be able to put those thoughts down on paper coherently. I'm not going to be the grammar or citation police, but the basics will be expected to be followed. I'm happy to help any student that struggles or, if beyond my help, find a fellow teacher/tutor who can. Please don't let these expectations scare you away if your child has learning disabilities - let's chat to see how I can help to accommodate those needs for your child.