Grade Levels
Elementary School, Middle School
Tutoring Specialties
ADD & ADHD, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Students with varying disabilities, Tiered Support, Gifted/Advanced population, Autism, Dyslexia, Learning Disabilities, EL (English Learners)
Bio
Hello! I am Patti Westcott, a retired art teacher living in west Michigan where we have beautiful beaches, sand dunes and forests to explore. When tutoring, I enjoy sharing the fun of learning and encourage students to believe in themselves as they work to gain new skills. When students enjoy learning it can increase their engagement, effort and willingness to try new things. I incorporate fun, intentional activities based on students’ interests and offer choice when possible. Creative thinking exercises can be used to help promote inventive problem solving and deepen the students’ understanding. I meet students where they are and develop plans and growth goals to meet their individual needs. Feedback is offered by recognizing students’ strengths and through positive reinforcement while offering suggestions, solutions and strategies to make improvements. Tutoring goals may include helping students to develop a growth mindset and critical thinking skills by modeling thinking processes.
Teacher Specialization
I have been a teacher for more than 20 years. My professional certification is in art education with recent training in Response To Intervention (RTI), reading strategies that work to help struggling readers in the classroom, Essential Instructional Practices in Early Literacy, and Guided Reading in small group instruction. I also have certificates for completed courses in Differentiation Strategies to Support Students with Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder Characteristics & Sensitivity Awareness, and Advanced Visual and Behavioral Supports for Students with Autism. I have recent experience administering reading level diagnostic tools both in person and virtually. I have taught online classes to K-5 students with high engagement and great individual success which resulted in students meeting their academic goals. I led reading and math summer school sessions for 3rd-5th grade students in Muskegon and conducted reading and math intervensions for K-5th grades in their classrooms.
