Meet Our Tutors. . .

We have been truly blessed with some awesome tutors throughout our years of operation.  We are grateful to every one of them for their hearts, energies, and time they give these students as they instill their love for learning in their classrooms.  We have always made every effort to carefully select our tutors for every subject taught.  It is our desire to select tutors who bring an infectious love for their subject of expertise to the classroom, as well as having the necessary knowledge and the ability to relate with and teach our students.  We have never advertised for a tutor.  Our tutors have all come to us by referral. 

We asked each of our tutors to write up a short, simple biography on themselves so that you may have the opportunity to get to know them in a small way. . .

 

Arthur, Frances   "My name is Frances Arthur and I decided to become a music teacher at the age of 9. After performing with the school bands in Smyrna, I went to college at Tennessee Tech University.  I studied under composer Robert Jager, vocal instructor Mary Wattenbarger,  and choral director Robert Wright. After completing college on the four-year plan (aka no social life), I became a music teacher in Rutherford County.  My two sons, Ben and David, made me realize that God had other plans for me than a career with the public school system.  I began home schooling them 9 years ago.  I have continued to work with singing groups from both sides of the music stand and have sung works by Copland, Bernstein, Brahms, Handel... I am also a history teacher for a small group of home schooled students."  ~ Frances is our RTA choir director and prepares these kids for some AMAZING performances for inside and outside RTA.

 

Barham, Jennifer  "I am Jennifer Barham and I have taught English classes and ACT prep classes at RTA because I relish marking student papers with a bright green pen! Actually, teaching is just something I enjoy, and English happens to be my favorite.  I’m from Nashville and I have degrees from Lambuth University, Belmont University, and MTSU (all but dissertation) where I still teach Literature.  It was in college that I met my husband, Chip, who swept me off my feet and has hardly put me down since. (Those feet have been barefoot and pregnant a lot since then, though).  We have five children (so far) who remind us graciously of the hard work and the reward that a family is.  If you came through the door to our house, you would find a fire going in the winter; candles burning year round; books filling up shelves and coffee tables and nightstands and any other flat surface; lots and lots of laughter and sometimes tears; Mozart or Switchfoot or Casting Crowns playing (or the soundtrack to “Smallville”); something cooking (or burning!); and always, always, always COFFEE!  When I retire, I'm going to work at Starbucks and sip on grande half-caff non-fat sugar-free caramel macchiatos all day." ~ Jennifer has tutored our Academic Writing classes, but is currently tutoring the English section of our ACT Prep class.

 

Bartos, Titus  Although a pianist and piano teacher by profession, Titus Bartos shares an equal passion for photography. Born and raised in Romania, Titus moved to the United States in 2001 for his schooling. Having finished his Masters in Piano Performance at MTSU, he now resides in Murfreesboro together with his wife, Laura, and two daughters – Sonia (born August 2006), and Eva (born December 2007).  Titus’ photography has been featured in various online exhibitions, galleries, and photo contests. With an emphasis on local sites and landscapes, his work can be seen at http://photos.titusbartos.com. In a time when digital photography is accessible and affordable to basically everyone, Titus has manifested an interest in teaching photography to people wanting to get the most out of their digital camera. His enthusiastic, yet practical approach to digital photography is focused on being able to take great photos with any camera equipment in any situation. ~ Titus has a passion for photography and he will be tutoring the Photography class.

 

Bettis, Karla  "I love watching people learn.  I have taught English and language arts off and on for the past 25 years in several different types of schools, but home schooling has been the most rewarding teaching I have ever done.  I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and am a certified teacher, but I’ve spent more time undoing those philosophies of teaching than I spent learning them.  I am interested in the way people learn and have been greatly influenced by the writings of Ruth Beechick.  I enjoy picking apart the English language and watching young people have those wonderful “Aha!” moments when they begin to grasp the structure of our language.  I have been married to my wonderful husband, Gregg, for 21 years.  Our three children are Matt, Lydia, and Daniel.  I grew up in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas where I learned to love hiking in the woods and hills, reading, and cooking.  I now realize that my parents actually did a lot of home schooling even though they didn't call it that.  I like being with young people of all ages."  ~ Karla tutors Jr. Grammar/Pre-composition as well as American Literature.

 

Brandon, Clark  "My name is Clark Brandon.  I was born in Flint, Michigan and moved to Tennessee when I was in elementary school.  After graduating from Manchester Central High School, I attended David Lipscomb University where I received a B.S. in Analytical Chemistry with a math minor.  I also have an MBA from Columbia Southern University and have taken several graduate environmental engineering courses.  I have held jobs in industry ranging from research and development for chemical warfare agents to developing methods and procedures for detecting environmental contaminants for EPA.  I am currently employed by the Air Force as the Chief of Management Operations at Arnold AFB for the Mission Support Group.  I was highly involved with the Warriors (homeschool basketball team) for the many years that my children played.  I am married to Valerie Brandon and have four children."  ~ Clark, or "Mr. B" as the students call him, tutors our Chemistry class.

 

Brandon, Valerie  "As a young girl, I loved visiting the classroom of my grandmother, a beloved teacher who showed me that every student has great potential.  While my formal training came from David Lipscomb College, my heart for being in the classroom was instilled much earlier by my grandmother.  I earned my B.S. in elementary education and followed her footsteps into a first grade teaching position, a career which was short-lived since Clark and I wished to begin our family.  Three of our four children attended public school; however, when the fourth was due to begin kindergarten, the dormant teacher spirit within me rose, and we chose to forge a new path into homeschooling.  Three years later God introduced us to RTA, and we confidently walked through the high school years with our two oldest children.  Now the two youngest are attending RTA and I am tickled to be back in front of a chalkboard (okay, dry erase board!) again, teaching and learning about composition and literature.   I am excited to have a good excuse to read more, with the addition of the literature class, but I am most thrilled to have the opportunity to sit around the table and learn with your delightful students.  I enjoy music, good books, sunsets, coffee with friends, and leisurely breakfasts with my family."  ~ Valerie tutors our Composition I & II classes as well as the Jr. Literature, and is also the Staff Director on the RTA Board.

 

Bryer, Sandy  By the age of 12 I knew I wanted to be a writer. However, after earning a degree in journalism from The University of Texas, I traded in my career as a copywriter at a Dallas ad agency for a much more satisfying occupation as a wife and mother of two girls, Elizabeth and Julie. My husband Harold answered calls to churches far from my beloved Lone Star State, and we moved to the frigid zones of Minnesota and snowy Maine before eventually landing in the green hills of Tennessee. During those years, I discovered another passion—teaching! At the Lord’s bidding, I stepped into classrooms in Texas, Maine, and most recently, Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Providence Christian Academy), to teach English, journalism, creative writing, history, and third grade, respectively. Somehow, sandwiched in-between those years was a three-year stint homeschooling our young daughters, in which I think I learned more than our girls!  As our daughters approached adulthood, I returned to the writing field, as a staff writer for five years for a Nashville newspaper, and then, as an assistant editor at Life Way’s Broadman & Holman book division. To my great surprise, I was named Reporter of the Year in 1997, and was presented a writing award for one of my articles. Today, I split my time (unevenly) between our home-grown ministry to international students, family, and part-time teaching. For the last six years, I’ve also enjoyed vagabonding throughout Europe with my husband, a 22” carry-on, and a hefty, but essential Rick Steve's guide. I can honestly say that we’ve been lost in more countries, with less money, and had more fun than anyone else I know. Yet, I’m always ready to return home to our daughter Elizabeth, two dogs and our many “adopted” international students. Leisure time for me?  An old John Grisham novel, cup of coffee with a friend, or a long cell phone chat with daughter Julie, who is the youngest-looking 4’11” prosecutor to ever put away the bad guys in Austin, Texas. Next fall, I’m looking forward to helping RTA students learn to have some fun playing with words! ~ Sandy will be tutoring our Grammar & Pre-Comp and our Comp III classes.

 

Buchanan, Tony   "I was raised  in Tullahoma, Tennessee. After graduation from high school, I went to college at the North Avenue Trade School, officially known as Georgia Tech and graduated with a Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering.  I married Doris during my visit to Georgia Tech and had a son, Tony Lee, before I graduated.   The family went to St Louis while I worked at MacDonnell Aircraft building the Gemini Space Craft that was the first US two-man earth orbiter.  When the Gemini program was completed, I moved back to Tullahoma to attend the University of Tennessee Space Institute to  get my Masters Degree in Aerospace Engineering and to go to work at the Arnold Air Force Base as a project engineer in the wind tunnels there.  I worked there until I retired.  During that time, we had two more children, a son and a daughter. All three children went to college, two for engineering and one for computer science.  Our daughter is married to a scientist who works for NASA and lives in Huntsville and has three children, ages 10-15, whom she is home schooling. Each one just this week won 1st place in the regional science fair in Huntsville and will be competing in the state in March.  The two oldest, Nathan and Joel, won the Alabama state fair for their age groups last year, and Nathan competed in the Internationals. Joel competed in the Discovery Channel Young Scientist program in Washington DC.  Tony Lee has three children whom he plans to home school.  The oldest, Mathias, age three, can already count to 15 in English, Spanish and Japanese, say the alphabet, write his name and say a few words in Spanish.  So you can see I am a very blessed man who gets to tutor at RTA some of the brightest kids in Tennessee." ~ Tony tutors classes in Advanced Math, Trigonometry and Calculus, Physics, Financial Peace & Investing, as well as tutoring the science/logic section of the ACT Prep class.

 

Cardel, Stephanie   Stephanie was raised in Franklin, TN.  She attended Middle Tennessee State University where she graduated with a degree in Psychology and minors in Social Work and English.  She also spent a year in graduate studies working towards a PhD in Psychology with the goal of being a Clinical Child Psychologist, but the birth of her first child changed her path.  Stephanie has taught dance, art, modeling, and drama in middle Tennessee for the past 25 years.  Recently she taught P.E., Health, and Art at Shepherd's Heart Enrichment Tutorial. Stephanie is a member of the Tennessee Writer's Alliance and the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.  She is currently seeking representation to publish a children's fantasy adventure book that she has written.  She and her husband, Dean are currently homeschooling their three children, ages 18, 15, and 12, the two oldest of which have attended RTA for many years.  Rachel will graduate this Spring and plans to attend M.T.S.U. as a music education major. ~ Stephanie is our Psychology and World Literature tutor.   

 

Cothern, Diane   "I was born in Omaha, Nebraska and am the eldest of five children.  My Dad was in the Navy, so we moved every couple of years all over the United States.  It was my husband, Doug, who first brought up the idea of home schooling and I remember thinking, “Now who would do that to their child?”  After much reading and prayer, we decided to do just “that” to our children.  We have three; Jeremy in his third year of Law School at UT, Andrea, a senior at MTSU and Bethany attends RTA as a junior.    I especially loved the early years of home schooling with the KONOS unit study and activities.  I think I had as much fun as the kids did. We even lived on a farm for 12 years as one big adventure.   As the kids got older, we have enjoyed the tutorial approach since it gives them a new perspective with different tutors, other students and the practice of being an independent learner. Home schooling, for us, has always been about creating new opportunities for our children.   I would see something that needed to be done, or thought my children could benefit from this or that and away we went.  I would organize everything, field trips, group activities, physical education classes, a basketball program, etc.    And now I help with RTA.  Did I mention that I love to organize?  In my spare time, I like to cook, bake, sew, read, watch movies and be with the ones I love.  Our main purpose and goal for home schooling was to help train our children to have godly character with the hope that they will raise up a standard and make a difference." ~ Diane is the Director and Administrator of RTA.

 

Daniels, Barbara  "I grew up on a farm in the small town of Gladwin, Michigan, where, along with a great natural education, I developed a love for birds.  I hand raised many, as it seems there were always baby birds falling out of their nests, and I had made it my mission to save every one of them from our plethora of farm cats.  My family moved to Colorado my senior year in high school where I graduated as salutatorian of my class, then attended college at Oral Roberts University in OK, as well as at the University of Colorado majoring in nursing.  I am a 15th year home-schooling mom of four - ages 20, 17, 12, and 5.  I have spent many years doing administration/ bookkeeping for my husband's entrepreneurial ventures, and I have also for 20 years been teaching private piano lessons.  I have this past year taken a full time position as office manager for a medical practice and have been aiding Diane Cothern in taking over the directing position for RTA.  Diane and I were the founders of RTA back in 1998, and I have been truly blessed by the many wonderful families I've had the opportunity to gain wisdom and friendship through the years through this tutorial." ~ Barb is the past Director and Administrator of RTA and remains on the board as Operations Consultant.

 

Davey, Collin   Collin Davey is currently finishing bachelor’s degrees in French and English from Middle Tennessee State University, having re-entered the academic world after several years in the workplace.  He specializes in medieval literature and presented his research on the Norman Conquest at an international conference of medieval scholars last summer.  A paper on twelfth-century writer Marie de France has been accepted for presentation this summer at an international conference in Geneva, Switzerland.  In addition to literature, he studies the languages of English, French, Latin, and Old English.  He founded and is the editor of MTSU’s only alternative student newspaper, The Double Standard.  He is married to a home-school mom and has two young children, Calvin and Sam.  In his many leisure hours, he enjoy all types of artistic pursuits, reading, outdoor activities, and wrestling with his sons.  He is a native of Washington state and has lived in the greater Nashville area since 1999.  ~ Collin will be tutoring World Literature along with the companion class World History thru Literature, Philosophy, Creative Writing, and Intro to Latin.

 

Forte, Angie  "I was born in Maryville, TN and was raised in that beautiful city.  I attended the University of Tennessee until one day I met this wonderful guy who swept me off my feet and moved me to Middle Tennessee.  We now 3 beautiful girls that we home school:  Kylie, a senior at RTA, Edie, a 7th grader at RTA, and Allie, a 4th grader.  We have a home with 8 acres in Lascassas.  Except for missing the Smokies, we really enjoy living in an area with so many great home schooling families and resources.  I enjoy drawing, gardening, antiquing, and being with family.  When I first felt the Lord's prompting me to home school my oldest, I tried doing "school at home."  It didn't take long before realizing home schooling is a lifestyle and is a part of our everyday life.  We absolutely love it!" ~  Angie serves on the RTA Board as the Volunteer Coordinator.

 

Goin, Sharon  "I am Sharon Goin, the Latin tutor, and have been with RTA since its beginning.  I have four children, and I homeschooled all of them.  My B.A. degree is in French, but I love Latin, too, and started teaching it when my son asked me to teach him and two of his friends Latin for their high school foreign language credit.  So we sat down at my kitchen table one day, and that’s when I started teaching Latin.  After teaching my son and his friends, I was asked to come teach at Whitver Tutorial in Nashville and later at RTA.  I’ve been tutoring homeschooled students in Latin now for about twelve years.  My children are now graduated and grown up.  Two are married.  They all live nearby.  I am a Christian, and my husband and I attend a small Anglican church in Nashville. We stay very much involved with our church and have some close friends there. My favorite things to do are to hug my grandchildren, read mysteries and Jane Austen novels, eat popcorn and watch 24.  I love teaching your kids too.  Their conversations are delightful.  Sometimes I would like to close their books and sit and listen to them, but that isn’t why you’re paying me, is it? ;-)"  ~ Sharon tutors the Latin I and Latin II classes.

 

Hall, Kelly  "I seem to have been destined to speak my mind! Having been raised in a tiny West Tennessee town; a female in the south, it would not seem probable but alas, I could just never keep my mouth shut. That trait, however, while having gotten me in trouble more than once, has served me well over the years. I won my first public speaking trophy in 6th grade in a county wide 4-H competition and I pretty much just went right on from there. What I would like to pass on as a teacher, however, are the "right" ways to speak one's mind. Like all other things in life, there is a wrong way to do something and a right way to do something! We will focus on the "right" way. I live in Murfreesboro with my pilot husband, two teenage children, two dogs, one cat, one bearded dragon (lizard) and one betta fish. My husband and I have found ourselves working with teenagers for so long now that it seems like we have always had teenagers. Teenagers are the future and I find that incredibly exciting and beautiful." ~  Kelly will be tutoring our Speech/Public Speaking class.

 

Harden, Ronei     "Aloha Nui Loa!  My name is Ronei Harden.   I was born on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii.  After spending a good part of my childhood there, my mother longed for her family state-side, so we moved back to Texas.  I realized my passion for English and writing while attending high school, serving as the features editor for the school newspaper, editor of the creative arts magazine, and the page layout staff for the yearbook.   I was awarded the University Interscholastic League academic awards for feature writing and editorial writing, earning scholarship money for college.   I attended the University of Texas at El Paso (formerly Texas Western of "Glory Road" fame – Go Miners!) where I received a degree in Journalism.  Upon graduation, I moved to Dallas and worked in the radio and television industry for nine years.  I met and married my wonderful husband of 20 years, Sam, who works in the entertainment industry touring with Lord of the Dance, Toby Keith, Hillary Duff, and others.   We have two great kids; Seth, an RTA alumni and current college student, and Savannah, who currently attends RTA.   Our family moved to Tennessee in 1995.  I have homeschooled for the past thirteen years, teaching not only my children, but serving other families at tutorials in the greater Nashville area.  I also serve on the board of MTHEA for the Rutherford County area.  I am blessed to have this opportunity and look forward to encouraging students to experience literature in a fresh, new way and express their creativity through the written word." ~ Ronei tutors our Creative Writing and British Literature classes.

 

League, Beverly  "I grew up in Eureka, Illinois and graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in mathematics, after which I taught for seven years in the public school system there.  I have lived in Smyrna since 1987.  When my first child was born, I quit teaching full-time and taught part time at a local junior college.   For 16 years I homeschooled my own three children.   I did not realize just how much I had missed teaching until I walked the halls with my own children when they began school in the 10th grade, so I was delighted to get the opportunity to teach again.  I began teaching at RTA in 2005 and also at Legacy Tutorial in Smyrna.  The students at RTA are great and I enjoy my time each week with them.  Besides teaching, I work part-time in our church library and also for the Church Library Ministry at the Tennessee Baptist Convention.  I enjoy most crafts, cross-stitching and shopping."  ~ Bev tutors in Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry, as well as tutoring the math section of our ACT Prep class.

 

Lester, Ahree  "Active outside artist, musician, actress, mom of three and proud wife of Ross Lester, and I love the Arts!  As founder of Kid's Unplugged, my husband Ross and I have been providing arts programs for children of all ages since 1999.  Working closely with theatres, museums, libraries, public and private schools, we discovered the desire to encourage students and families to become "ART SMART".  Whether through creative art classes, camps, tutorials, drum teams or summer arts programs, the arts have become an integral part of our lives.  Please join us as we awaken the creative spirit God placed in each of us!  All that is required is a desire to create and the willingness to explore.  I look forward to meeting you there." ~ Ahree is tutoring our Artsy Art and Art classes, and puts out some AWESOME creativity in the students' showcases!

 

Lester, Ross  "I have been beating on things with sticks since the days of my youth in Little Rock, AR.  Now it is my joy to lead others to skillfully beat on stuff with sticks.  I have spent a good part of the last 25 years as a performing musician and as a student of the drums, and have had the privilege of teaching rhythm and percussion since 1999.  At RTA I enjoy facilitating the informal experience of group drumming as well as leading students in the rigors of preparing for performance.  The home school tutorial is my favorite venue for doing what I do, as I believe it is the fruit of the amazing freedom we have as Americans to educate our children as we see fit.  This brings me to another passion of mine:  US History.  My father has a PhD in History and worked as a university professor when I was growing up.  Through him I received an appreciation for our heritage of liberty and the resulting opportunities for (among other things) music, drums, and the arts in general.  God's generosity has provided me the privilege of exploring rhythm and history with others, but His greater gifts to me are my lovely wife, Ahree, and my sons, London, Sims, and Wren." ~ Ross has tutored our Creative Rhythms Percussion Team going into his fourth year, and has some ROCKIN' AWESOME performances! He also tutors our US History and Government & Economics classes.

 

Lopez, Heydi  "Hola, Como estan? (Hi, how are you?) My name is Heydi Lopez. I’m Panamenian or a native of Panama, Republic of Panama. Spanish is my native language. I lived in Panama with my family for 18 years. I moved to United States to attend college and pursue my dream of becoming an Engineer 20 years ago.  I received my Electrical Engineering degree at City College of New York, located on the upper west side of Manhattan, New York. While pursuing my degree, I worked as a Teaching assistant and Tutor for Mathematics and Spanish. I always enjoy teaching and helping others, so tutoring came very easy to me and it was also a great way to supplement my income. I feel very fortunate that my parents provided me with a great education. I consider being bilingual a true blessing in my life. I met my husband in college and dated him for 4 years. When my husband, Neff, completed his Engineering degree, we decided to get married.  After college, we got our first engineering job and moved to Corning, New York where we lived for few years. In the year 2000 our employer relocated us to Charlotte, NC and 2 years later to Wilmington, NC where we stayed for another 2 years. In 2004 my husband accepted a position with Dell Computers and relocated our family to Nashville, TN.  The minute we landed in Nashville we felt like home. We love it here and we are very happy with our decision to settle down in this area. We currently live in Murfreesboro, TN near the Blackman area.  God has being very good to us, blessing us with 2 wonderful children.  My oldest son, Bryan is 6 years old and my daughter Giselle Marie is 4 years old. Bryan attends Blackman Elementary and Giselle will start Kindergarten in August of this year.  I’m very proud to say that I’m a Christian and I strongly believe that God is the foundation of my life and that with him everything and anything is possible. My family and I attend Sunday service at Fellowship Bible church.   I looked forward meeting you and your child. It will be my honor to help your youngster learn and fall in love with the beautiful Spanish language.  Thank you for providing your child with this great gift, the gift of a second language.  Hasta luego" ~ Heydi will be taking on ALL levels of our Spanish classes.

 

Lundy, Beth   Originally from Nashville, TN, I have been married to my husband, Taze, and have lived in Murfreesboro for the past 20 years.  We have two boys, Alex and Rhett, who we have home schooled for the last 7 years.  They are also competitive swimmers, which has become a family sport.  My motto is “follow me long enough and you’ll end up at the pool.”  The Lord continues to bring business and teaching into my life.  From an early age I began to have an interest in various aspects of business, eventually leading to a Bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Tech and an MBA from MTSU.  This allowed me to not only work in the field, but also opened the door for me to be able to teach in MTSU’s College of Business.  As the kids got older, the need to focus more on home schooling became more apparent, so I donned the hat of “full-time home school mom.”  As most of you know, this opened doors for many opportunities to serve.  I spent three years on the HEART Board of Directors and an additional three on the Shepherd’s Heart Enrichment Tutorial Board of Directors.  Not to leave the kids out, as a family we have just finished our fourth year of volunteer work with the Children’s Discovery Center.  I am continually sustained by the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ, and the love of my family.  A good book, a cup of coffee, and a comfortable chair do not hurt either.  I am proponent of young people understanding all aspects of business and look forward to teaching the personal finance course. ~ Beth will be tutoring our Personal Finance class.

 

McCreery, Ginger  "I was born and raised in upper East Tennessee and thus am bilingual.  My first language was Appalachian, and the second acquired language was English.  I’m still working on that second one.  I broke my father’s heart by attending East Tennessee State University (not the University of Tennessee!!!) and then, even worse, I also attended Middle Tennessee State University.  My blood does not run orange and I do not make an annual pilgrimage to Knoxville.  As a child I loved to read.  As an adult I love to read!  I got into lots of trouble in elementary school for always having a library book inside whatever textbook we were working in at the time.  After reading HARRIET THE SPY I decided to spy on my neighbors.  I got on my trusty bike with the banana seat and high handlebars and headed off.  Unfortunately, my neighbors didn’t live in close proximity to one another and they really had NOTHING interesting or exciting to say.  I gave that up in a day or so.  While in college I was able to participate in a couple of unique learning experiences that really challenged my assumptions about education.  moved to Nashville to take an internship with the Tennessee General Assembly, fell in love, and became a flat-lander (middle Tennessean).  David and I married in 1979 and we have 3 children.  We discussed the idea of home education while we were still dating and started planning to home school our own children before they were even born.  We finished 19 years of home schooling in June of 2007 when our youngest child graduated from high school.  Jesse is 25 and is a 1st Lt in the Army, Hannah is 23 and is in her 2nd year of graduate school at UT, and Rachel, 19, is attending MTSU.  Home education was an incredibly positive experience for our family!   I was a home school junkie for those 19 years, volunteering in our local support group as well as serving on the MTHEA Board for 13 years.  You name it, we’ve probably done it or coordinated it or spoken at it.  I started tutoring at RTA in 2002 and absolutely love it!  Your children are amazing and I feel so privileged to get to spend a little time with them.  am passionate about education, home schooling, family life, reading good books, and reading more good books.  “The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.”  Mark Twain  ~ Ginger will be returning to RTA to tutor our Jr High Lit, Jr High Civics, American Lit and Philosophy and Christian World View classes.

 

McDonald, Debbie  "My name is Debbie McDonald, and I started bringing my children to RTA all the way from Cookeville (yes, I drive well over an hour every Monday) when RTA began.  I grew up in Fayetteville, TN and moved to Cookeville where I earned a marketing degree at Tennessee Tech.  After receiving that degree, I realized how much I enjoyed “playing” with numbers and decided to go back to pursue an accounting degree.  Before finding out that I had passed the CPA exam, we yanked our two oldest children out of school and began this homeschooling journey.   I have been a “non-practicing” (non-paid) accountant while homeschooling our four children the past 14 years.  Before coming to RTA, I taught algebra and economics classes at the homeschool co-op in Cookeville.  I love to teach because I really enjoy seeing those light bulb moments when students finally get it.  My kids tell me that I need to get a life, because honestly I love being a mom, and my kids are my hobbies.  In order to appease them, however, I’ve recently become a Master Gardener and I’m learning how to quilt and embroider."  ~ Debbie tutors our Pre-Algebra class.

 

Newton, Cheryl   "I live in Smyrna, TN with my husband, Darin, and our five children.  I have a love for math and science and double majored in them in college.  I began home schooling in 1994 when my oldest son was 5 years old.  I have taught in tutorials around the Nashville area since 1996.  I have tutored all levels of math (from elementary through Algebra 2) in my home and look forward to taking on the challenge of teaching Math Foundations along with my current science classes at RTA this coming school year."  ~ Cheryl tutors in Math Foundations, Pre-Algebra, General Science, and Physical Science classes.  She also, with the help of her student staff, creates a WONDERFUL yearbook for RTA!

 

Pankratz, Shirl  "Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, I grew up on stage. At the age of 11, I remembered dancing on stage at the Stardust Hotel, thinking performing was pretty cool.  In jr. high and high school I studied speech and drama, and as a freshman I competed in the state competition and received 1st place in every event I entered and then State Champion over all.  Never competed again - I knew when to stop.  I have degrees in Christian Counseling as well as Child Psychology, and Nursing Science, taught Special Education in So. California, and was at one time a regular performer with the Las Vegas Dance Theater.  In Nashville, I was Director of Deaf Ministries at Two Rivers Baptist Church, worked in the children's choir, Passion Play, and Judgment House, as well as on the Board of Advisers for Silent Word Ministries (video production) and LifeWay (choreographer for their children's musicals).  I've been blessed to work with people like Celine Dion, Brad Paisley and the Saint Jude's Hospital for Children (TV-telecast).  I now live in Murfreesboro and home school my 6 children. Over the last several years, I have performed in and/or directed various plays/skits/musicals, and taught drama classes for Center for the Arts and Cedar Hall School.  Through my experience in dance, acting, singing, sign language, etc., my drama classes take on a whole different experience." ~ Shirl will be bringing new flavor to our theatre classes this coming year.

 

Peterson, Lisa  "I was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil and moved to Greenville, SC when I was 8 months old.  I got my B.S. from Clemson University in Biology Education and taught high school for 5 years, including coaching basketball, before having my first child.  I now am a stay-at-home mom with my sons Daniel (4) and Luke (2).  I am actively involved in my church and enjoy helping women grow in their faith.  I also love watching sports - football and basketball.  Working at RTA is such a blessing to me, and I have loved getting to know all the students.  Thank you for this incredible opportunity to teach your children."  ~ Lisa tutors our Biology I, Biology II, and Health/Life Management classes.

 

Phiffer, Cindy   Murfreesboro was still a sleepy, Southern town when my family moved here for the first time in 1963. My father had accepted a job as a preacher for Kingwood Heights. My parents grew up in Putnam Co., Tenn., but they lived in Michigan when I was born. During my first four-year stint in the ‘Boro, I attended 1st-4th grades at Middle Tennessee Christian School. That short period provided a treasure trove of memories for me, and I spent many happy hours at play on the side porch of our house on West Clark Boulevard. Even then, my favorite games were House and School; I already knew that I wanted to be a mommy and a teacher when I grew up. During the 45 years that passed between then and now, I’ve lived in four other states (VA, NC, NJ and MA); inhabited 23 houses, apartments and dorm rooms; earned a B.S. degree in music education from UT-Knoxville and my elementary school certification; and taught creative writing for two other home school tutorial centers. I’ve worked as the editor of Country Journal newspaper, authored two children’s books (My First Book of Prayer and The Edible ABC’s), and written more than fifteen celebrity cancer profiles for Coping magazine. I’m the president of the Tennessee Writers Alliance, the chair of the Boro Blues Fest and enjoy serving on the worship team at church. In 2007, I retired from teaching private lessons in writing, art and music so that I could work with more groups. This will allow me to continue to develop and use the gifts God has given me, and to spend more time with my family. ~ Cindy will be team tutoring with Stephanie Cardel in our World Lit class.

 

Redmond, Miriam  "Me Ilamo Miriam Redmond and I was born in Cueto, Cuba.  My parents and I fled Castro's communist regime to live in the United States in 1962.   Spanish is my native language and it is what I spoke in my home.  I grew up in Topeka, KS where I attended Washburn University.  I am married and have been blessed with two children that we home schooled.  During the four years (2000-2004) that my youngest child attended RTA I taught Intro to Spanish, Spanish I and Spanish II.  After a two year sabbatical I returned to teach Intro to Spanish in 2006.  I am a volunteer at the Pregnancy Support Center where I council and translate for Hispanic women.  I enjoy reading, traveling, knitting and crocheting.  It is a pleasure and an honor to help home school families teach their children a subject they need assistance with.  I love the students I've taught throughout the years, and God has used them in my life to teach me many things."  ~ Miriam tutors our Intro to Spanish class.

 

Skelton, Leslie      "My name is Leslie Skelton.  I have a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Tulane University and have worked for the Illinois Power Co, Babcock & Wilcox, And Keane Inc. I grew up in northeastern Ohio, but I love Middle Tennessee.  We moved here 17 years ago and it is definitely “home” for me and my family.  I have been home schooling since 1998 and I love what it has done for me and my family.  My husband Damian and I have four children: Madalynne, Stuart, Theo, and Isabel. We love traveling, being near water, traveling, watching movies, traveling… I love teaching at RTA and am glad to be back after a short remodeling hiatus!" ~ Leslie will be tutoring our World History, Physics and Chemistry classes. 

 

Theriot, Lisa  "I am Lisa Theriot.  Study Hall Monitor used to be my official title, but I am changing it this year to Study Hall Mom.  That describes my position much better, and it explains to you how these students have gotten into my heart.  I have 5 children, and we have home schooled for 15 years.  My husband Kyle and I have been married for almost 24 years.  We love to camp, hike, go rappelling, snow ski, vacation at the beach and participate in church activities.  I really do have the best job at RTA! ~ Lisa is loved by all of our students as our Study Hall "Mom" as well as Monday Operations Co-Manager.

 

Tiller, Kristi   "My name is Kristi Tiller, and I am a native Tennessean, born and raised near Nashville.  (Actually, my parents still live in the house where I grew up!)   I received a degree in English from MTSU in 1999, and that is also the year that my husband, Victor, and I were married.  We met in a Bible study group at church and knew immediately that it was meant to be.  God has blessed us greatly with 7 years of marriage and 2 beautiful children.  My family is definitely the joy of my life!  Our little girl, Natalie, just turned 6 and our son, Grant, is 3.  We live in Smyrna and attend Christ Church in Nashville.  This fall I will begin my second year as a tutor at RTA.  I have enjoyed this year tremendously and consider it a great blessing to work with your students.   I hope to meet you this fall!!"  ~ Kristi tutors our Composition III/Academic Writing class, British Literature, and now also our Exploring World History thru Literature for junior high level students.

 

Willis, Wendy   "¡Hola! My name might be American, but my heart is 100% Mexican! I am a U.S. native, but I grew up in central Mexico from the time I was an infant. My parents were American missionaries so I had the unusual (and wonderful) privilege of experiencing two cultures and learning English and Spanish simultaneously when I was a child. I, along with my older brother, was homeschooled through all but four years of K-12. I remember my years as a homeschooler with lots of fondness! After my senior year, when I was 18, I headed off to college in the United States. I started at Georgetown College in Kentucky and then transferred to Western Kentucky University to complete my undergraduate degree in Advertising. Since that time, I have lived in Nashville for seven years and Birmingham for one-and-a-half years, primarily working in the Christian book publishing industry in the area of marketing. In December of 2006, I married my husband, Steve Willis, whom many of you know from the swing dances held each spring. Steve and I are blessed to get to minister to a group of at-risk youth who live in a community close to our church. These kids are our “family”…and you’ll probably hear me refer to them as “our kids.” However, we do not yet have any of our own children. I am currently a custom Spanish teacher for an institute in Nashville and a Spanish interpreter. I am really looking forward to teaching Spanish I & II to your students this coming year!" ~ Wendy will be joining us as our Spanish tutor. 

 

Zhislin, Igor  "My name is Igor Zhislin.  I was born and grew up in Kharkov, Ukraine before moving to the US. A Middle Tennessee resident since 1990, I am a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, where I received my Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Mathematics, and have worked for a number of years in actuarial and financial fields.  I was introduced to chess when I was about 5 years old.  I later became the Kharkov Regional Scholastic Champion as well as the Ukrainian Student Champion.   Playing and studying the game for some 30 years now, I found it to be one of the more valuable educational tools I have ever had and experienced.  While some of the benefits of playing chess are obvious, there are also many intangibles, which some may not realize until years later. I have coached chess at various levels in both Ukraine and US."  ~  Igor will be teaching a class in Critical Thinking thru Chess.