I spent the early part of my life in Charlottesville, Virginia focused on all manner of non-school related activities. During the week, I did organized sports such as cross-country running, track and field, baseball, football, tennis, and basketball. On the weekends I rode horses, backpacked, fished, swam, and biked with my six siblings. I loved sports and loved the outdoors. While in school, I often found myself grappling to maintain my focus. I wanted to be doing something active and hands on rather than sitting still in a seat.

After high school, I attended Brevard College. I was drawn to the natural beauty of the mountains of western North Carolina where it was located. Many of the class offerings were designed for experiential learners with both outdoor and hands on components. Learning from a seat had been so difficult for me in the past, but now I found myself engaged and enjoying my studies. My academic light went on. One course in particular, horsemanship, also provided me with an opportunity to teach what I had just learned, an experience I found extremely reinforcing. The instructor, who was also the director at a local summer camp, recognized this spark in me and cultivated my interest in teaching. She became my mentor.

After Brevard, I headed west to Northern Arizona University, again drawn to the natural beauty of the surrounding area. In addition to my studies, I took a job as a dormitory head resident where I mentored, taught, and led students in a variety of activities. I also returned to competitive athletics joining the school’s newfound tennis program.

After graduation, I spent the next seven years working at summer camps where I taught horseback riding under the tutelage of my mentor and at residential schools where I taught life skills to children with learning differences. I loved what I was doing and began to consider that teaching may be my life’s work. I decided to return to school to get a Master’s in Education Psychology from the University of Virginia, a degree that allowed me to study human development, concepts of learning, instructional techniques, and classroom assessment, all of which I found engaging. I concurrently worked to earn a certification to teach mathematics, a topic which was my long-time nemesis. I enjoyed working with numbers, and I now had the confidence to explore this discipline that my father, an accountant, spoke of so fondly and in real-world contexts when I was younger.

For the next twenty plus years, I taught math, coached, and directed residence halls in the Charlottesville area in both private boarding and public day schools. I loved to teach and loved to learn, soaking up as much information about best practices as I could. When students had difficulty focusing and with executive functioning, I dove into a study of learning styles and experiential learning methods. When students shared my interest in nature and the environment, I returned to school during the summer (Antioch University New England) for a second master’s degree in Educating for Sustainability. There I learned how to better imbed concepts of sustainability into my mathematics curriculum. When students grappled with technology addiction, I researched and implemented mindfulness practices. Throughout this time, I was motivated to become the teacher that I, who had been so disengaged from the learning process as a child, would have responded to and been inspired by.

As often happens in school settings, though, the responsibilities beyond formal instruction (advising, coaching, weekend chaperoning, report writing, meeting attendance, etc.) can invade and sap one’s creative energies. Toward the end of those twenty years, I felt this happening to me. After much consideration, I made the decision to step away from the classroom. This pivot allowed me to slow the pace of my life and to nurture my ever-present desire to learn. During my teaching hiatus, I completed a two-year program through the Meditation Teacher Training Institute, a six-month program in career planning called A Path with Heart, a permaculture design course, and became a father. This three-year sabbatical brought me renewed focus and purpose. By the end of this time, I was feeling called back to teaching but wanted to practice in a sustainable, thoughtful way that also afforded me time with my family and time to myself to regenerate.

Joining my wife’s math tutoring practice in 2014 provided me with an opportunity to return to teaching in a more balanced way. I now have time to enjoy my family, to attend to my personal interests, and to practice my life’s passion as a teacher. Working one-on-one with kids, without the school-related institutional responsibilities, has allowed me to focus solely on my teaching. At the same time, I bring to my tutoring practice a life’s worth of experience in schools working with adults and children from just about every walk of life. I bring my hallmark tools of the trade- teaching math using hands-on experiential methods and catering to neurodiverse students and those with different learning styles. And, I bring my life experience forging thoughtful, strong, and lasting relationships with kids, the bedrock of helping individuals develop skills and become confident learners.

“I truly appreciate your weekly reports. I feel like you help to give insights into my sweet guy that I would otherwise not know. So, thank you.”
-E. D.

“Your tutoring and guidance really help me understand not only the math on the test, but the way the tests themselves work. I now know how to complete each question as quickly and as accurately as possible. These are invaluable skills which I am so grateful to possess.”
-E. R. L.

“I want to thank you for all your efforts with D. It is obvious that you love your work and that has had a very positive effect on D. and on us.”
-P. W.

“I think E. is anxious to do well and your support has meant a lot to her (and me) all year long. You are a master at helping students with little confidence believe they can be real math students. Thank you.”
-G. C.

“Once again, K. and I would like to thank you for your efforts with J. in math this year. We recently received your written evaluation of his progress, and – as we have come to expect from you – it was thorough and to the point. What it does not say though, is that J. would have never made the progress he did without your exceptional expenditure of effort to: 1) get him on track; and 2) keep him there in the midst of a seemingly endless stream of (mostly) self-induced distractions. We know that, J. knows that, and we all thank you for that.”
-L. A.

“You are a model of decency, hard work and caring. You obviously care deeply about the progress of your students and particularly those who are struggling.”
-D. S.

“We express our gratitude to you for your resolute support of G. This was a difficult year for all involved. Regardless of the situation, you were able to get to the substance of the issue at hand and give us, as well as G., the direction needed to persevere.”
-G. T.

“You should know that J. told us he seeks you out for help with math, even though you aren’t his math teacher, because ‘he explains it better.’ You have no idea how much we appreciate your time and effort.”
-S. S.

“It seems impossible four years have gone by! We thank you for all you have done for D., and for being not only his teacher, but confidant and friend too.”
-B. Y.

“Thank you both so very much for working with C. over the past few years. He does not open up to many people, and he enjoyed working with you both so much. Thank you.”
-E. D.

“As we left school after graduation, R. remarked that he wished he could take you along to college with him. You have made a major positive impact on R.’s life. All of us thank you for it.”
-T. B.

“This past year has been transformational for Z. and you played such a pivotal role in her growth. You saw her potential and encouraged and nurtured her spirit at a time when her confidence was flagging. You are not just a math teacher, but a life coach and as I think about it, an educator in the truest, most beautiful sense.”
-L. V.

“You may never know what your contacts have meant to us – your encouragement and suggestions for C. have been invaluable. I think as much as anything we appreciate your tolerance, compassion and steadfastness in the life of a young man.”
-L. D.

“We are so grateful to you for all your excellent help this spring. In addition to being a terrific tutor (and filling those ‘gaps from earlier in the year’), I know that H. appreciated your calm, patient approach. Just what she needed. I think it was a huge relief for her to have quiet, focused time with you, and the sessions were clearly immensely helpful.”
-W. C.