Yes, I did grow up in Thornwood. May parents still live in Thornwood.

Elementary Education, Literacy

I attended Moody Bible Institute for my undergraduate, with a degree in Elementary Education and Biblical Studies. I then attended Judson University while I was working as a teacher, graduating with a Masters in Literacy.

I love kids and I love to inspire them to learn new concepts.  It the most amazing feeling to see a student transform in both their abilities and confidence and knowing I played a small part of that.  

My second grade teacher Mrs. Maki.  She was the sweetest veteran teacher who told me she wishes her class was filled with “22 Kaylas”.  That was the first time I remember my eyes filling up with happy tears!  Also Mrs. Lekas in fourth grade.  That was the year of September 11 and I was diagnosed with anxiety.  Mrs. Lekas was so kind and understanding when I was feeling anxious.  They were tremendous examples of teachers who did not see their students as scores on a test, but as tiny individuals with moldable hearts.

After nine years of classroom teaching and one year of full-time tutoring, I am still learning SO much. I guess my advice would be to never stop learning.  As a teacher, you will never arrive. Every single year, your class will be filled with new students who have different needs, different interests, different home lives, and different learning styles.  What works for one class won’t work for the next.  I think that’s part of the fun.  You never know what challenges and triumphs await.  You get to constantly be creative and have to think on your feet, despite the fact that you have a detailed lesson plan in front of you.  No two days are the same, no two students are the same, and no two classes are the same.  Therefore, no two lessons will be the same.  Stay humble, ask to observe other teachers, and ask your admin to observe you and give you feedback. It was in these moments that I grew most as an educator.  There is so much to learn, and no one has all the answers… no matter how long they've been teaching.

It is HARD.  My immune system never adapted and I was sick all the time.  I was exhausted and passed out on the couch by 7 PM most nights.  I shed a lot of tears over other peoples children.  Teaching requires hours and hours of over-time. It is not a job, but truly a way of life. A passion for teaching is an absolute requirement.  Plenty of academics are taught in the classroom, but a teacher spends just as much time teaching life skills, communication skills, conflict resolution skills, social emotional skills, and so much more.  Teachers are like transformers. They also serve as a nurse, a referee, a counselor, a coach, and a “school mama”.  Teaching is the hardest task I've ever set out to accomplish.  Though far from perfect, God’s grace and guidance allowed me to serve my students well for the nine years I was in the classroom.

Honestly? Nothing.  You can go to school and take all the classes and observe all the teachers and write all the lessons.  But nothing can fully prepare you until you experience it.  It is a crazy, beautiful, chaotic adventure.

I have always tutored after school.  Especially since Covid, there has been a rise in the amount of kids who need extra help that they just aren’t getting during the school day.  With the need for tutors seeming to rise, I also wanted an option to work from home and be in charge of my own schedule while still doing what I love.  My husband and I hope to start a family and working from home seemed like the best option for us.  So after my ninth year of teaching, I made the difficult decision to leave the classroom and build my own!  I have an in-home classroom where I’ve tutored over 40 kiddos in the last year.  This spring, I decided I wanted to focus my tutoring services on reading intervention.  I pursued and completed my training in the Orton-Gillingham program, a systematic and multi-sensory approach to reading instruction rooted in the science of reading. This program boosts any reader, but especially those with any type of learning difficulties such as dyslexia, ADHD, language impairment, etc.  I have seen my students make massive progress!  I highly recommend the Orton-Gillingham program for any struggling reader. Check out my website: www.kaylatutors.com.

1. Expo markers!  Those bad boys are gold.  The trick is to store them upside down so the ink always stays at the tip.  

2. Coffee!  Every lesson I’ve ever taught has been sponsored by coffee.

3. Teacher bestie!  My teacher bestie got me through my hardest days.  She taught right next door so we could quickly pop into each others rooms to share the hilarious or unbelievable story that just happened.  And those moments happened daily.