English (K-8) and ESL/ESOL tutor

About Helene

I earned a BS in Education/English from Eastern Illinois University in 1974. I began teaching junior high school students that same year in Palatine, Illinois, and continued my education during the summers and in the evenings. In 1980, I received a MS in Education/Reading from Northern Illinois University. Then in 1990, I earned a MS in Administration and Supervision. As I was still teaching, I noticed the need for English as a Second Language skills in my classroom. So I enrolled in National Louis University and earned an ESL Endorsement in 1999.

As previously mentioned, In 1974, I began teaching in School District 15 in Palatine, IL. I remained teaching there for thirty-five years. In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I served on many building and district committees. If I saw a need for something, I tried to fill that need. I wrote a spelling book for both seventh and eighth grade for my building and the district when budgets were cut. Also, I brought the Read 180 Program to District 15 to improve reading skills. It was the first program in IL. Seeing the need to improve writing skill, I created the first writing classes using technology. In addition to these accomplishments, I worked on test writing for the building, district, and state.

After I retired, I tutored for VIPKID for three years. This is an on-line program teaching English to Chinese children in Beijing. The students ranged in age from 5 to 12 years. It was a real pleasure to see the students improve each week!