How many children do you have? Tell me more about them!
I’m the lucky mom of two boys, Zach, who’s in Kindergarten, and Gabe, who’s in third grade. They are all sports, all the time! They have a basketball hoop on their closet door, so we have the Junior NBA in our apartment, much to the delight of our kind downstairs neighbors. Zach’s also super into Legos, Gabe loves Rick Riordan books, and most of all, they both love chatting and playing with their pals. And snuggling with our dog, Laika.
Tell us more about your business, what do you offer?
I run Teachers Who Tutor | NYC, the city’s only tutoring organization comprised solely of expert classroom teachers offering support across subjects and grades K through 12. My co-founder Brian and I started Teachers Who Tutor because we realized how important it was for our students who had outside help to be supported by classroom teachers who understand how to scaffold students for long-term success. Our model is to support students by showing them strategies so that they can then learn independence and self-advocacy!
We write a weekly advice column called Homeroom for The Atlantic and our new book Taking the Stress out of Homework, offers parents strategies to support their kids in executive functioning and organization as well as in reading, writing, math and beyond. We break down for parents exactly when and how to offer homework support, using real-life stories to provide individualized, actionable advice to help kids help themselves.
The book addresses a range of common frustrations:
- How much should parents get involved?
- What does constructive help look like
- How can parents support their children to work independently?
We offer stress-reducing best practices so homework not only supports what kids are learning, but also helps build confidence and skills that last a lifetime for topics ranging from reading, writing, and math, to time management and organization.
Hardest part about being a mom?
Being a parent during the pandemic has been trying at best for us all. The hardest part about being a mom at the moment is juggling too many responsibilities with too little time. Like countless other parents, I’m trying to juggle the seemingly impossible trifecta of having no childcare, two full-time working parents, and two kids in remote school. But I know how much we have to be grateful for, and even on the rough days, I try to appreciate how much time we’ve had together as a family this past year.
I address many of the challenges facing us parents during the pandemic in Homeroom, the weekly education column I write for The Atlantic. We’re always thrilled to hear from parents, and you can always reach out to us with questions or comments at [email protected].
How has motherhood changed you?
Motherhood has changed me in all of the best ways. It has allowed me to see the world through my children’s eyes. It’s trite but true that there’s nothing more magical than watching them become their own delightful little people.