- Learning by experience, or experiential learning, is superior to learning via desk/room/book, only; it's more enjoyable, too. FMI champions it.
- American English, like most other languages, is dialectic. Services are available to all SELs (Standard English Learners--people whose first language is English), regardless of dialectical habit. If you need a little help, we're here.
- It's often assumed that because someone is born in the United States, he or she is English proficient, and that just isn't the case. Generally, people take for granted that when people are born in a predominantly English-speaking country, we all have the same understanding of the language. We don't. There's a disconnect, born of a million and two sociological factors, between what some of us say and read, and what certain segments of society deem acceptable via written and spoken word.
- English language is a tool, and FMI helps students figure out how to make it work for them. We don't turn folks into robots. We just put more keys in their locks, ham in their burgers--you get it.
My name is Kenisha Carr, and I kick butt at helping adults and adolescents learn how to make English (and anything else) work for them. Primarily, I teach English and language arts at the secondary and post-secondary levels (i.e., middle school, high school, and college), but I have a knack for teaching math and algebra, so I offer lessons in those areas, as well. Prepping students for standardized tests--GRE, SAT, ACT, HSPT, CBEST, CSET: English--is a love a mine, too.
I have a degree in English (with special emphasis on secondary education) and an ESL certification. My 10+ years in the educational arena--and ongoing professional development--have taught me the importance of helping students shift from lower- to higher-order thinking, which is really only coaching students to learn to think analytically.
Focusing on students' different learning modalities, goals, abilities, and interests helps me boost students' confidence, which helps them achieve their academic goals. My tutoring and test prep students become optimally prepared for tests. Knowing tricky grammatical principals, mechanical principles, or probability determination may not be necessary in communicating basic ideas, but that knowledge makes a big difference in students' class placements, and it makes an even bigger difference when competing for college placements and scholarships. Show me a rightly placed exponent or preposition, and I'll show you the money.
While I love a good challenge, it's heartbreaking when those challenges manifest themselves in the form of students (or parents of students) who earn A's and B's at school, but can't earn 1150 on the SAT, or who take an ESL course, but can't (or are afraid to) speak English (when necessary to meet a goal). There are standards to be met, and I do whatever I can to help my students meet or exceed them.
To help personalize students' experiences and ensure relevance of sessions:
1. Written and oral assessments are used to gauge strengths and weaknesses.
2. Periodic quizzes are administered; their regularity depends on how often students meet with me.
3. Exit exams are administered at the end of students' programs.
All I ask is that students are ready to:
1. Shift their priorities, and invest adequate time and energy into getting the results they want.
2. Be on time.
3. Openly communicate their needs, pleasures, and nots. Faketry hinders this process.
4. Understand that while they may notice improvements as early as the first session, gaining total success will take time and sustained effort.
Whether for summer or winter enrichment, test prep, help with the naturalization exam, or just a general safety net, be sure to contact me, and we can determine how to work together to create the results you or your child need(s).
Peace and Best,
My name is Superb Ally; I'm knowledgeable, dependable, and honest. When there's a need for extra staff, I show my face, but I'm one of the few people Kenisha trusts with her students.
If you're competent, effective, and honorable, and you think you'd be a good fit for FMI, send your resume to Kenisha: kcarr[AT]fillmein.us. When there's an opening, she'll contact you.
If you are desperate or time-challenged, don't bother. Fill Me In is a flake-free zone.