Hi, I’m Holly
My Mission: To provide parents, educators & community mentors with trauma-sensitive executive functioning and self-regulation resources to help them build these skills in themselves and in the populations they serve.
Whew!
That’s a mouthful.
Here it is in a nutshell….
We are all capable of learning optimally, but we need three vital conditions to be met in order to do so:
We need to have the self-awareness to name what we need
We need the self-advocacy skills to speak up and ask for what we need
We need the self-management skills to navigate the internal & external blocks that we will inevitably bump up against as we go through the constant process of change & growth
I believe that everyone is capable of learning what they want to learn and utilizing their strengths to overcome their challenges.
I know that when someone is empowered to utilize all three skills above, in tandem, that they are more likely to be healthy emotionally, physically and interpersonally.
The field of education is due for big changes:
we need to do a better job of supporting neurodiverse students - whether they need executive functioning support or are ready for more challenge than they are being presented with
we need to better understand trauma and its implications on learning & development
we need to help young students build better social-emotional skills so that they know their worth and their power and can advocate for it without lessening the worth and power of others
we need to better support teens, young adults, parents, educators & mentors on the vital need for executive functioning skill development & environmental scaffolding to support learners to meet their learning & behavior goals as a means to achieve full and successful self-actualization
Responsive (trauma-Informed) Executive functioning support is the answer to many learning & self-ACTUALIZATION challenges.
I’m on a mission to support learners on their journey to self-advocacy, self-awareness and self-direction and spread awareness that Trauma Informed Teaching Practices are absolutely necessary in today’s educational environments.
I am also here to participate in conversations about we can each of us in own unique way bring needed change to an education system that desperately wants to meet the needs of all learners.
Education is a game-changer and it’s time to level the playing field.
Learning HOW you learn is necessary .
Learning WHY you learn is key.
Being accepted, empowered and fully supported as you learn?
That’s transformational.
Academic Coaching & Tutoring
School Project Support
K-12 Writing
K-8 Math
Spanish
English as a Second Language
ACT prep
Advocacy & Coaching
IEP advocacy
Parent/Teacher Conference Support
Mentoring for teen tutors
Community Presentations on Executive Functioning & Creating Responsive Learning Environments
Parent & Family Coaching
Embodied Learning
Smarty Pants Yoga Workshops & Classes
Beacon Yoga For Caregivers
My Teaching & Learning Journey
The beginning...
In 2003 I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Michigan University.
My specialty was Elementary Education with an extra emphasis on math and Spanish.
Math Master
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts I accepted a job in Phoenix, Arizona teaching sixth grade honor-level math.
The math curriculum, and extensive training, provided by my district was inquiry-based. Essentially, teaching by the old adage, 'Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." This is my greatest intention as a teacher/mentor - to help my students grow not only in their understanding, but in their confidence that with the magical combination of effort and curiosity, they are the masters of their own understanding.
Spanish Teacher
While at Eastern Michigan I participated in an intensive language immersion program in Queretaro, Mexico where I attended El Universidad Autonomo de Queretaro to study Spanish language and culture. This experience of being a second language learner in a foreign country was a vital piece in my development as an educator and gave me valuable insight into the challenges, both cultural and linguistic, that are faced by those who attempt the extremely rewarding endeavor of learning a second language.
After teaching for four years in Phoenix, during which I obtained an MA in Bilingual & Multicultural Education, I moved back to Michigan and accepted a job teaching Spanish I & II at a private middle school. My classes were rigorous and extensive, covering a lot of material, and my students rose to the challenge.
As a Spanish teacher, I guide my students to develop their study/accountability systems, utilize resources effectively, and develop curiosity about the connections and commonalities of language. I find that most students require a basic - and continued - review of English grammar as they develop their Spanish competency.
Teacher on a Mission
Educational philosophy is constantly evolving, as is our understanding of brain development and neuroplasticity. After nearly 20 years working with students, teachers and administrators, I can unequivocally state that we have much work to do to ensure our educational systems are inclusive, progressive and responsive for ALL students.
Students often are not given adequate instruction in, or time to practice, the tools and resources necessary to successfully develop executive functioning or emotional regulation skills.
Executive functioning skills are the foundation of progress and forward momentum. More and more often, teachers and health professionals are coming to realize that common behavior and academic challenges that seem to be on the rise, are often well-addressed through executive functioning skill support from a qualified and experienced coach or tutor and a shift in learning environments to be more student/learner-centered.
Unfortunately, as I well know from my years of experience in public schools, teachers do not always have the resources or time to address the unique and constantly changing needs of each and every student. This is where a an instructional coach becomes important - and in many cases invaluable.
And for those of us who are adults, teachers aren't always so easy to find anymore!
You invest time and money in sports coaches to help build the foundational skills that will allow you to progress to the next level and achieve the success you envision. An academic or instructional coach functions exactly the same way. A coach forms a relationship with you, getting to know your strengths and weaknesses and helping you, over time, to play to those strengths and shore up those weaknesses.
A coach helps you craft your own learning journey so that you end up exactly where you want to in as little time as possible.
Trauma Impacts Us All
Throughout my teaching journey it has become clear to me that trauma does not discriminate and that it absolutely impacts learning.
If we think of trauma not as the event that occurs, but as the internal response of the individual to an event, it can be easier to accept that traumatic events are not universally traumatic.
I know that it can be difficult to acknowledge that our children - or even ourselves - might be experiencing difficulties in a particular area due to an unresolved trauma response, but the research is clear - trauma effects us all at one point or another. When we are not given the tools or time to properly manage and release our emotional response to certain events, the effects can be long-lasting and extremely disruptive.
There are many different types of traumatic experiences, and an experience that is traumatic for one person may not be traumatic to another. Things like toxic stress, dramatic life changes, societal systems of oppression, violence (experienced first hand or witnessed in media), interpersonal conflicts (bullying, exclusion, etc) are just a few of the types of traumas that students may experience in schools.
The key to lessening traumatic effects on students is helping them build self-awareness and self-advocacy tools. Folks who are dealing with unresolved traumas need to feel heard, accepted and safe to speak up about their needs as they navigate their own recovery to a state of trust and wellness.
Teachers and parents are uniquely situated to help students build the executive functioning skills, self-awareness skills and communication skills that will allow students to speak up about their needs and advocate for conditions and supports that will help them grow and learn and connect with others in a way that is healthy and vital to their future success.
Tutoring for Social Change!
Throughout my teaching career I have recognized that not all families can afford the benefits of a tutor or coach for themselves or for their students.
But consistently throughout my years of teaching I have seen students completely transform their circumstances through the individualized attention of a progressive educator and
I believe access to progressive and individualized education is a human right & I also believe that our system is not set up for fairness for all.
To this end, I have decided to marry my passion for social justice to my love of teaching.
I do this in two ways.
I routinely mentor high school students to grow in their ability to coach and tutor younger students. A dedicated mentor is a huge bonus for struggling young kids and for the teens who take on the role of mentor, the benefits to their self-management and self-esteem are huge. If you or someone you know is interested in this opportunity to mentor younger students OR if your younger student could benefit from being matched with a teen mentor - please contact me!
For every 10 hours of tutoring/coaching provided at my base rate, I bank sixty minutes of free or reduced-cost tutoring/coaching sessions to offer to families or individuals in need. I work together with the local school district, as well as through private contacts and referrals, to offer the same great tutoring/coaching help for free as a service to the larger community.
So, when you book tutoring sessions for yourself or your child - you are also giving back to your community by supporting one or both of these initiatives.
Everyone - regardless of differences - deserves to have their best shot at accomplishing their learning goals - and that is why I feel so passionately about not only increasing the accessibility of tutoring and mentoring support - but also empowering the next generation to do good work and build their own confidence in the process.