PrepNow Tutor - Kaylie A.
Kaylie holds a BA in international relations and a secondary teacher certification in social studies from Michigan State University. After graduating in May 2023, Kaylie worked in hospitality briefly before beginning her student teaching practicum. The following summer, she was hired to teach social studies full-time. In her current role, Kaylie has developed and taught a new African American History elective and piloted a team-based teaching model that has since been expanded to all freshman classes.
Kaylie began tutoring informally in high school, when she was paired with a struggling student in her Chinese class. “I initially started to earn volunteer hours for the National Honor Society, and to practice my own language skills while helping my classmate bring her grades up,” Kaylie recalls. “Then, at Michigan State, I was hired as a Reading & Writing Consultant for the notoriously essay-heavy James Madison College. For two years, I worked with hundreds of students in both individual and small-group sessions, teaching reading strategies, revising and editing, various formatting styles, and most importantly: how to think about writing.” Kaylie is thrilled to tutor test prep because she loves helping students accept, work on, and overcome their struggles. “I believe the key to success on the SAT/ACT is understanding,” Kaylie says. “Anyone can improve and achieve their goals with a little guidance and a lot of practice.”
Kaylie describes her teaching style as data-driven and relationship-based. “When it comes to effective instruction, I believe there is no need to ‘reinvent the wheel,’” she explains. “The techniques that improve student outcomes, however ‘old school’ or rote, are the ones that I invest my time and energy in - alongside building positive and supportive relationships with learners at every level.” Kaylie notes that students need to be held accountable for their learning, and that while learning is often an uncomfortable and humbling process, it doesn't mean it has to be a painful process. “By supporting students through moments of frustration, personalizing instruction to individual strengths and interests, and always, always celebrating growth, I know that teaching is a mutually enriching act,” Kaylie says.
In college, Kaylie played clarinet in the campus band and was a research assistant for a professor. She has been the recipient of numerous honors including the President's Award for Educational Excellence, the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship, and an Award of Excellence in Teaching.
Kaylie enjoys sketching, painting, drawing, playing Nintendo games, reading random Wikipedia articles top-to-bottom, and spending time outdoors. “I recently got back into reading novels, and my goal this year is to read all of the works written by my favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut,” Kaylie shares. Kaylie loves all things history - natural and man-made. “I have been lucky enough to travel and to live in lots of places, but my favorite is the timeless beauty of Northern Michigan in the summertime,” Kaylie says.
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