Author: Pascale Simpson

Author

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  Pascale Simpson

  Who am I?

  I am a former teacher turned tutor and now owner of Simpson Tutors. I am passionate about making sure young children have a strong foundation in preschool and elementary because those are the building blocks for the rest of their future. These days I split my time between Miami and New York, connecting families with tutors that are just as passionate about teaching and fostering a love of learning in young children

  My Background

  Before I was a teacher, I worked with young children while I was an undergraduate student at New York University. Upon graduating with my major in Sociology, I decided to pursue graduate school at Hunter College to become a teacher. During my graduate studies, I began teaching as an associate teacher at Beginnings Nursery School in Gramercy. I taught children ages three and four, and was immersed in the Reggio Emilia approach. I witnessed how meaningful it was for children's interests to be able to guide their learning and carried this with me throughout my teaching career. I then went on to become an associate teacher at LREI (formerly known as Little Red School House) in Manhattan to work with slightly older students and fell in love with teaching kindergarten. I love being a part of the foundational years where children are learning how to read and write, making sense of the world, and learning how to navigate social skills.

  I completed my master's degree in Early Childhood Education and received my teaching certification from New York State because I realized the impact that a quality early childhood education has on the rest of a child's academic years. I went on to become a founding teacher at Compass Charter School, a progressive play-based and student-centered charter school in Brooklyn, NY where I continued to teach kindergarten and first grade. From there I went on to teach kindergarten and first grade at PS 29 in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. It was there that I started to tutor my former students from previous schools. I quickly realized the importance and value of one-on-one learning.

  My Teaching Philosophy

  When I was a kindergarten and first grade teacher, it was so important to me that the children in my classroom were having fun and enjoying learning. My classroom door was always open and the kids could be heard from down the hall singing, laughing, and chatting animatedly. Of course, when it was time for quiet and focus, they understood this just as well. I believe it's so important for children to feel invested in their learning. As an educator, it is so rewarding to see the wheels turning as a five or six year old is working hard to try and solve a problem or think about a character in a book. What I love about private tutoring is the ability to tailor each tutoring session to each specific child and meet them where they are from session to session. You quickly realize what works for one student might not work for another. Each child has their own interests and motivators and it's so important to get to know them on an individual level.

  What Makes Simpson Tutors Different

  I started Simpson Tutors because there wasn't another tutoring company that specialized in early childhood and elementary education. Sure there are plenty of K to 12 companies, but oftentimes these companies hire educators that are more suited for middle and high schoolers. As amazing as they may be, they don't know how to work with young kids. It takes years of experience to be able to understand how the young mind works and to be able to teach in a way that they can understand. Sometimes parents will call us and they feel a bit embarrassed at the idea of hiring a reading tutor for their five year old, but even to this day when I go to a workshop or event focused on early literacy, I learn something new. To be a skilled and effective elementary teacher takes time. There are actually so many little tools and tricks that we've acquired that make it look like a breeze!

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