About Me...

I am a wife and mother of three amazing children.
Before I discuss my qualifications, I'd like to explain why I decided to become a teacher, specifically a reading teacher. I was a struggling reader. I was always in the lowest reading group. I was one of the last to finish my classwork; I'd sit and stare at my uncompleted work for hours. I hardly did my homework. My parents were Italian immigrants who didn't know how to help me. My third grade teacher was not at all sympathetic to my needs. I dreaded school. Fast forward to sixth grade. My sixth grade teacher did not give up on me. She worked with me individually and suddenly I began to believe in myself. I had such a positive experience that year. My career path was set - I would become a teacher. I would make sure that every child I taught would reach his/her full potential.
I attended Dominican College in Orangeburg, NY and earned my bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Elementary Education. After I graduated, I decided to move to Florida and start my career in Tampa. While in Florida, I earned my master's degree in Reading Education through the University of South Florida. Later, I moved back to New York and became a special education teacher. While working in special education at the high school level, I realized my students needed more than just instruction, so I persuaded training in Applied Behavior Analysis through Manhattanville College. With my credentials I was able to obtain a position as a behavior specialist consultant for the Orange County Department of Mental Health. Within that time, I moved into becoming a special education reading specialist. Again, I felt my students needed more than what I was giving, so I decided to become trained in the Orton Gillingham method though the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators at the associate level.
My path in tutoring began in 2011 when a former student's parent sought me out to help her son who was failing most subjects. Through referrals, I began tutoring more students. I realized that working with children on an individual basis helped them to excel at a faster rate than being in a classroom setting.
After a bit of time, I wanted to learn other ways to help my students read. I decided to become Orton Gillingham trained. The Orton Gillingham approach enables me to provide intensive instruction that truly helps struggling readers.