About Read. Write. Speak., LLC & Sondra
Through tutoring, I want to help educate you or someone you likely care about. After seven years teaching in a public school classroom, working with children and adults, I chose to use my experience, education, and skills to help students of all ages as a teacher / tutor. Experience has led me to believe that most students who are not achieving as readers, writers, and mathematicians benefit from additional focused instruction. From the beginning, with me as their tutor, there is a high expectation of learning, effort, and mutual respect. Learning is more internalized if smiles and laughter are involved.
My greatest strengths lie in the area of helping children who are struggling with learning to read and write. In recent years, I have become very interested in how the brain can be retrained to incorporate information in various ways. Many people have struggled in school because their brains do not process information as the curriculums expect. These students can be helped and moved toward success. This is a core belief. Specifically, I am referring to students who exhibit signs, or who have experienced diagnoses of dyslexia and/or dysgraphia, ADD, and learning disabilities. With many students, integrating an Orton Gillingham based approach with other resources has led to word reading, sentence composing, and spelling success. A diagnosis is never required to begin receiving interventions, provided they are effective.
In addition to being a teacher / tutor of children, teaching adults challenges me in different ways and on another level. The English language has always fascinated me, and it gives me great joy to share my knowledge. I am still amazed at how much more there is to know and learn more about. I work with people in reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking.
If you feel you could use some additional support for yourself, your child or a loved one’s education, please contact Read. Write. Speak., LLC for teaching / tutoring services.
Resume / CV
Sondra Tutela, EdM
As a teacher and tutor, my goal is to establish a positive environment using best instructional practices and assessment in order to increase reading, writing, listening, and speaking / communication skills of all students.
Professional History
Teacher and educational coach, Business owner, Read. Write. Speak., LLC, Coaching and tutoring services for children and adults in literacy and English language skills (2012-present)
- Small Group Readiing Interventionist, Centennial Elementary School, Firestone, CO - Subcontracted as an interventionist to work with 1st through 5th graders in small groups to improve reading and writing skills - (2017-2020)
Teacher, Mountain View Elementary School, Adams 12 Five Star School District, Thornton, CO (2011-2012) 5th grade, departmentalized literacy
Teacher, Coronado Hills Elementary School, Adams 12 Five Star School District, Thornton, CO (2005-2011)
- 3rd grade elementary team member (2009-2011)
- After-school tutoring using SOAR program materials (January-April, 2011)
- After-school tutoring for students in GOALs (an after school support program)
- 2nd grade elementary team member (2008-2009)
- 4th grade elementary team member (2005-2008)
- TESL Adult English Teacher (2009 and 2010) After school program for parents
- Additional responsibilities: Faculty Advisory Committee (2007) 3rd Grade Level Chairman (2010-2012), 4th Grade Level Chairman (2006-2008), PBS Committee (2009-2010), Library Committee (2010-2012), Technology Committee, and Inter-grade writing analysis team (2006-2007)
Summer School Teacher, Thornton Elementary School (2007 and 2008)
Customer Service Manager, American Coin Merchandising, Inc. Boulder, CO (1999 – 2004) Spreadsheet management, logistical services for transportation of amusement vending machines
Business Owner, Keepin’ it Together, Cleveland Heights, OH (1995-1998) Residential cleaning and maintenance
Education
- Professional Development Coursework through Adams State University is ongoing to maintain teacher licensure in Colorado.
- Yoshimoto Orton Gillingham Approach Training – (2016) Basic and Advanced – Geared toward students who are diagnosed or may exhibit signs of dyslexia.
- Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Literacy Education (2005-2008) University of Colorado – Partners in Education (PIE), Boulder, CO | Reading Teacher Endorsement
- Linguistically Diverse Education Endorsement, CSU Global (2010-2011)
- B.S., Psychology (1996) Kent State University, Kent, OH
- Solexico School, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Level 1 Spanish Intensive course (Summer, 2010)
- TESL Certification to teach English to adults (2008-2009), Front Range Community College
- K-6 Teaching Certification (2004-2005), University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
- Colorado Writing Project (2011) Intensive writing study for teachers of writing