About Me
Hello, I am Miss Linda McKinney! I am excited that you are considering taking one of my courses. We are going to have a fabulous time and I promise to be a bit silly so we will have fun learning!
My teaching style includes classical/traditional methods and USA common core methods. Growing up, my educational background varied since I went to 5 elementary schools, 2 junior highs, and 3 high schools including being home schooled during 10th grade and private schools from 4th to 9th grades. From kindergarten to 2nd grade, I was in special needs due to being identified as developmental behind in reading and math. Later, it was determined I needed eyeglasses then I became honor roll student and put into an accelerated program where I finished high school in three years. So, in my lifetime I have been below average and gifted!
My bachelor’s degree is in Computer Science, and I earned an MBA in Marketing & Market Research. After working for several Fortune 500 companies (Verizon and 20th Century Fox), I went back to school to become a teacher.
For over 15 years, I have been helping students from PreK to 12th grade. My experience includes:
High School Youth Group Pastor for Lutheran Church in the Foothills
Sylvan Instructor for Math (1st to 10th grade)
Troop Leader for Girl Scouts (1st to 8th grade)
Private Kindergarten Teacher at KinderCare
Preschool Teacher at YMCA, Mariners, and Tutor Time
Private tutor for Math (4th to 8th)
Private tutor for SSAT/ISEE, SAT, GMAT, and GRE
I believe my job as a Teacher is to take care of the whole child; thus, I develop courses that provide opportunities for development emotionally, socially, physically (what? yes, even online we can incorporate this, such as stretching before the course begins), and cognitively. I believe it is important to provide a safe space for children to feel comfortable to try even if it means they might fail so they can truly master a skill by understanding what works and what does not.
I believe having a sense of community is important for feeling safe to learn so I start my classes with ice breaker question, such as:
Would you rather…
Be a famous YouTuber
Be the smartest person in the world
Find hidden treasure?
I look forward to hearing your answer!