PrepNow Tutor - Stephanie T.
Stephanie graduated cum laude with a double major in Spanish and economics and business administration from Kalamazoo College. She received academic awards in both subjects, as well as the Mary Long Burch Award as a leader in sports and scholarship. As a graduate student, Stephanie traveled to Spain twice for endowed doctoral and post-doctoral research. She holds a PhD from the University of Michigan in Spanish language and literature.
Stephanie's first experience in teaching was as a sophomore in college, when she was invited by her professor to teach and tutor other undergraduates. She has now been a Spanish professor herself, at a mid-sized public university and two liberal arts colleges.
She has taught at preschools and home-schooling co-ops, privately tutored all ages, and even done training for businesses. She has extensive experience with online education. She was a guide for students of Spanish and German in grades K-12 in an online academy affiliated with a public school district. She is very familiar with the Spanish AP test, having served as both an AP faculty consultant and AP table leader at several readings of the Spanish AP Language exam.
Stephanie actively works to improve the field of Spanish education. She has contributed to Spanish textbooks for upper-elementary and middle-school students and for high-school first-year Spanish students. As a professor, she served as a supervisor of students pursuing certification in secondary Spanish education. She has led courses and written two books for other educators on differentiating instruction using technology.
Stephanie's students are encouraged to be active participants in their learning. "I want my students to use the language as much as possible and to feel comfortable doing so," she says. "They cannot learn the language effectively if I am the only one talking. I also try to communicate to them that making mistakes is a sign that they are learning." She also believes that learning can be fun. "When we laugh and have the chance to learn in alternative ways, our brains are better able to cement and recall the information we have learned."
Spanish is her passion, but Stephanie has many outside interests. She played softball, floor hockey and soccer growing up, and in college, she both played and coached soccer. She enjoys theater and attends the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada, every year.
