Camilla B - Homeschool Tutor In Taos NM - Local or Online
I usually begin a lesson with a real-world story to set up the reason for the learning. One recent example was how a famed scuba diver was nearly lost while exploring an ice cave in Antarctica. What did she discover about cold water, and how did she save herself? Students are nearly always captivated by the stories and the hands-on experiments that follow. I personally love science and geometry, and my enthusiasm is catching. I am a scuba diver, caver, white water kayaker, hiker, adventurer; and I use my personal experiences in many lessons. I collect rocks and sands from around the world. i have had pet lizards, snakes, newts, chickens, goats, cats. I set up natural ponds in my yard for raising fish and edible water plants. Many teachers have asked me to share my lesson plans, which i do.
Experience
I've had 30+ years teaching hands-on science and geometry to students from preschool through university. The majority of my experience has been with elementary school students. I used my experience to found a nonprofit, Classrooms Across Cultures, to teach science in Afghanistan because I wanted to improve life for women and girls. During a 10-year period, I taught children and trained 100's of teachers all over the country and was commissioned by the government to write the country's first book of hands-on science projects. My geometry teaching showed me that most students don't know how to use a protractor, so I designed and patented one, and many school districts found it improved learning dramatically. I write my own lesson plans, or adapt others, based on state science standards; then I connect those lessons to real-world scenarios. That means the lesson isn't taught in a vacuum. For instance, i do a very fun lesson about siphons; then we talk about how farmers use siphons to irrigate their fields. After learning about how families struggled to survive during the dustbowl of the 1930's, we design our own farms in a cardboard box to see whether they can withstand winds.
Education
Ball State University
bachelor of science
University of California
many courses in botany, science
Cogswell College
Land Surveyor
San Francisco State
Archeology
Scholar at Large, self taught
dozens of classes, on-going