
Blocked User
4.1
(4)
1,770 min coached
Studied at University of Kansas
Hiring Manager at Kalar Educational/The Test Prep Machine
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
About Blocked
*I have taught test prep for over 23 years, but my last several years were spent on a special project of sorts: helping my own autistic children prepare for, and then succeed in, public school. I couldn't be prouder of the results, and now I get to focus on my teaching career again! NOTE: I was recently given a very critical review by a client who told me in our intake meeting that she had already worked with several tutors, blaming each of them for her lack of improvement. I accepted her as a client in good faith, and even extended the length of our intake meeting and first meeting at no charge in an attempt to assess why she wasn't seeing improvement. At our second meeting, she had clearly not spent any time working on the exam and was already blaming my methods and content despite not trying to actually do the work employing them. I have taught test prep for 24 years with great success for the solid majority of my clients. I'm going to be frank with you because improvement requires self-knowledge and the humility needed to improve. Please read that review. I believe that its tone and content will support everything that I have said here. If you are willing to put in the work and listen to an expert who has been through this hundreds of times, let's get started! *While I was blessed with the deductive and analytic ability to score well on these exams and the ability to articulate explanations well, I am also very affected by ADHD in my executive function and some types of memory and learning curves. While I enjoy working with anyone, this has always given me a certain insight with atypical students: both those from modest backgrounds like mine, and those with processing or sensory issues, obstacles toward gaining certain skills, or neurodivergence. *As I grew my business, and then again in smaller markets, I complemented test prep with work in fine dining. While I know more about wine and cuisine than the average tutor, the more important outcome is my dream of opening an ice cream cafe in which I do all of the churning and roasting myself. Feel free to ask me off-the-clock about my zero-carb-sugar ice creams. Or about whether using a double-hyphen is allowable in the previous sentence. ;) *In my free time I enjoy playing with my kids, playing board and card games, playing acoustic guitar, and hiking.
Why do I coach?
Every brain and background is different. In my small town and within my blue collar family, I was treated as a savant growing up. While I was winning spelling bees and acing standardized tests, no one taught me the structure and discipline that I would need in higher academia. Then I found out at age 21 that I have ADHD and over several years I have learned how to be more effective and efficient. My older sister scored a perfect 36 on the ACT English and Reading but an 18 on Math. My kids are autistic. WE CAN ALL DO THIS. I want to help everyone regardless of background or personality type, and I want every student to realize that intelligence is broader than any exam. I'm certainly not afraid to be self-deprecating to illustrate that even the high-scoring instructor isn't perfect and has issues to deal with too!
Work Experience

Director/Lead Instructor and Course Writer
Kalar Educational/The Test Prep Machine
April 2005 - Present
Hiring Manager
*Taught and tutored thousands of GMAT and GRE hours for Veritas Prep literally coast-to-coast over 13 years, growing with the company and contributing to market growth and materials *Taught and tutored a self-written LSAT curriculum through an established relationship with St. Louis University's Mock Trial team *Marketed services locally in the St. Louis, Chicago, Silicon Valley, and D.C./Baltimore markets, and nationally online *Developed website and recorded podcasts toward company-sponsored publication
Blocked was also given offers to work at

Veritas GMAT and GRE

Varsity Tutors

Manhattan Prep

Kaplan Test Prep
Education

University of Kansas
B.A., Political Science
1994 - 1999
Mathematics, Computer Literacy and +5 skills
Blocked was also personally admitted to

University of Chicago

Tulane University

Washington University in St. Louis
4 Reviews
Overall Rating
4.1
Knowledge
3.0
Value
1.0
Responsiveness
1.0
Supportiveness
1.0