Online and in person academic support

 

Way back as a young educator fresh out of school, I took a job as a part-time tutor at a local learning center to make ends meet. It was the first place I began to notice a distinct pattern: the resources and strategies we used were effective for many students, but for others, the program simply didn’t work. The resulting strain on this other group of students, a group that didn’t necessarily need “more” as much as they needed “different”, would eventually become the impetus of my career. I grew tired of watching children not receive the support they truly needed in order to be confident, strong, capable learners. I felt there had to be a better way.

 

I began to find that way in 2006 by becoming educated in the Orton-Gillingham approach for teaching children with dyslexia. Through my training and practicum, this experience brought me to work with some amazingly bright and dynamic students and confirmed what I already knew in my heart: that with the right approach and guidance, every child can climb higher toward their potential. I was hooked!

 

Later I would teach students with learning differences at Hamilton School in Providence, Rhode Island, and also joined as a founding educator at The Sally Borden School in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, two schools who are pioneers in this concept. I had fallen in love with the idea that teaching didn’t have to be stale or traditional – that in the right environment every child could get exactly what they needed. When I wasn’t busy in the classroom during those years I began working individually with families, consulting with parents on educational strategies, cultivating meaningful partnerships with my students, and supporting them with everything from reading intervention and test prep to building confidence and life skills. The proof was in the success of my students – it worked!

 

Since then I have continued to solidify my belief in this approach to education. For a decade I taught at the Oakwood School in Annandale, Virginia, where in small-classroom format I was exposed to even greater ways to individualize our instruction and better support students with learning differences. I have also gone on to receive my certification as an Academic Life Coach. With this, it is my hope to show students that perseverance will always win, mindset is something that can be taught, and strategies are the key to unlocking the academic puzzles.

 

Academic Ascent is born of the idea that academic needs are best met by developing meaningful partnerships with students and their families, building confidence in our kids, and illuminating the idea that with the right strategies and approach, school doesn’t have to be such a struggle.

 

We can help get you there.

 

Holly Keegan