Colleen F.
Private tutor in Swartz Creek, MI
Education
BA - U of M, Elem. Education MA - MSU, Reading Instruction EdS - MSU, Reading Specialist PhD - Educational Administration
Experience
I have been a teacher for 40 years in a variety of subjects. I received my Ed.S. and Ph.D. from Michigan State University. Most recently I have been tutoring students in the Genesee County (Michigan) area. In addition to these credentials, I have also received Reading Recovery training. Reading Recovery has changed reading instruction for the better all around the English speaking world. Children begin to feel badly about their school performance when they have difficulty learning to read, write or do math. I understand this and know how to reach your child at a critical time. I believe the teacher's job is to "arrange victories" for the student. This requires careful planning and the results, more confidence and improved grades, lead to overall better scholastic performance. I believe in varying the techniques in each lesson to keep the student interested and engaged.
Subject Expertise
3rd Grade Writing8th Grade Writing8th Grade Reading8th Grade math7th Grade Writing7th Grade Reading7th Grade math6th Grade Writing6th Grade Reading6th Grade math5th Grade Writing5th Grade Reading5th Grade math4th Grade Writing4th Grade Reading4th Grade math1st Grade math3rd Grade Reading3rd Grade math2nd Grade Writing2nd Grade Reading2nd Grade math1st Grade Writing12th Grade Writing12th Grade Reading11th Grade Writing11th Grade Reading10th Grade Writing10th Grade ReadingACT English1st Grade ReadingACT with Writing
Availability
Any day at any time
Can Meet
Up to 15 minutes away at my regular hourly rate
Hobbies
I love helping people improve their lives through education. Since I retired I have been tutoring for six years. Here are some of the parents comments: "My fourth grader started the year with sub par grades but after working with Miss Colleen, his grades have improved significantly. More importantly, his attitude toward learning and school have turned around. He used to hide his school papers and report cards but now he runs in the door yelling for us to look at his A's and B's. Miss Colleen focuses on the basics ensuring that the foundation of learning is solid. She uses a variety of games, exercises, demonstrations and conversation to engage him in learning. I wish we would have known Miss Colleen when our oldest was in school. She has certainly made the difference! I would encourage anyone looking for a well rounded, patient instructor to obtain her services. "Fantastic Tutor" - Heather M. Grand Blanc, MI on 3/22/14 I was looking for a reading tutor for my son, who is a first grader struggling with reading and Colleen is such a blessing. I can't believe we are able to work with a retired reading specialist. She is patient and really keys in to his needs. She listens to his interests and customizes his lessons for him. She created the sight word bingo for him which he loves. We love her. "Very warm, patient, set an encouraging environment for the student "Making a HUGE difference." - Heidi S. Linden, MI on 9/13/13 In the very short time Ms. Colleen has been tutoring our second grader, we can see a very enthusiastic change in our little readers approach to reading. She looks forward to going to tutoring and she loves all of the different activities she is doing to improve her reading skills." "Wonderful tutor." - Katrina H. Fenton, MI on 8/22/13 Miss Colleen has been a wonderful tutor for my son. My son has been working with her over the summer on reading and writing. He has made great improvements in the short time he has been working with her. He loves his sessions and actually gets excited to go to tutoring. My son does not like school work and can be very stuborn when it comes to reading and writing, so it is wonderful to see him excited to work and to learn! I am very glad that I found Miss Colleen. My son will be much more prepared to start the second grade, because of the work he has done with her this summer. My only regret is that I did not find her sooner. "Wonderful Tutor" - Sharon T. Fenton, MI on 10/18/11 Mrs Colleen is a great tutor, she worked with my grandson this summer and I have notice a big difference this school year. His progress has been great, his reading and writing has improved along with his listening skills. Thanks so much for your help and we will be continuing his tutoring so that he continues to improve. "WOW! Amazing credentials, kind, patient, creative and best of all...my son LOVES to spend time with her!" - Shaunda S. Grand Blanc, MI on 6/1/11 From the moment I read Dr. F's profile I knew she was "the one". Her education credentials, background and experience speak for themselves but meeting her in person is even further convincing of her tremendous talent with teaching children. Dr. F took the time to ask questions to understand exactly what areas my son needs to focus on. She is very well organized and spends a great deal of time preparing his personal tailored lesson each week. She even developed special math and writing games for him because he asked her to "make it fun". She is also extremely prompt with posting her lesson notes so I can see exactly what they worked on ... it's amazing how much ground they cover in just one hour! In only five weeks I can see a tremendous improvement in my son's homework and test performance and his overall outlook on learning. Dr. Colleen F is truly a blessing to us and we are so thankful to have found her." Debra W. Mt. Morris, Mi 2014 "Colleen is a wonderful tutor who knows how to create a relaxed environment for the student and the parents. This was the first thing I looked at was whether or not the student felt they could be themselves, relax and engage in the learning process. Colleen is a wonderful resourceful tutor. She zeros in quickly with the student's challenging task at hand and focuses on solutions. The student's grade has gone up 2 letter grades. She has not verbalized how she hates math since the tutoring sessions began. I believe we're on the right track. Very pleased with progress. My student has more confidence to attempt math equations. Excellent team"
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