I earned my Tennessee K-8 teacher certification in 2000 with a concentration in elementary school grades. Since then, I have taught fourth grade for various local schools, including a Fine Arts magnet school. I began teaching evenings at an area tutoring center in 2002, and have worked two years as a Title I Reading Specialist. Separately, I have taught sixteen students in their homes during the past seven years, two of whom have subsequently been inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. My experience indicates that both parents and students prefer a "comfortable learning environment" in the familiar surroundings of their own home, so I always offer to tutor there. I enjoy teaching phonics and reading skills to beginning readers and helping them develop a love for reading books! In math tutoring, I use hands-on manipulatives as often as possible because making math visual helps students "see" solutions more easily. My goals are for students to master any skill, to gain confidence in their own abilities, and to be able to complete their classwork and homework by themselves. My ONLY rule or requirement for students is that they must TRY!! There is no option to quit or give up! References available. Alan S. Ooltewah, TN.