San Antonio tutor helps students who struggle

Spotlight

SAN ANTONIO — In a conference with her son's first-grade teacher, Sarah Christiansen heard what she never imagined she would: I don't know what I'm going to do about your child.

"In my eyes, this was a perfect child," said Christiansen, 50, who owns a tutoring service called Yes You Can. "All of a sudden, somebody's telling you (he has a problem)."

Her son, who is now 28 and in the Marines, was "borderline ADHD," she said. He had a lot of energy and a hard time focusing in the classroom. So Christiansen went to Saint Leo University, where she learned how to help him by earning a bachelor's degree in varying exceptionalities.

"We're trained to make modifications for (students)," she said. She taught for 10 years in public and private schools and tutored struggling students on the side. Now she tutors exclusively.

Students who could benefit from Yes You Can's tutoring's services might have ADHD, ADD, processing deficits, dyslexia or learning disabilities, Christiansen said.

Some children's teachers talk too fast. Other students need new ways to apply the presented material. Others "are nervous," Christiansen said. "They don't want to make a mistake."

Christiansen tutors students in fourth through tenth grades, at her home or via video using Facetime or Skype. The most common subject she covers is math.

Sitting with students one on one gives the opportunity to establish a relationship and learn how to best meet their needs, she said. "That's when real learning starts to take place."

For information about Yes You Can, call (352) 585-6327 or visit yesyoucantutoring.com.

Nominations sought for youth business class: The Pasco Youth Initiative (PYI) is accepting nominations of young adults ages 16-25 who want to hone professional business skills at a free three-day business skills class from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 25-27 at CareerSource Pasco Hernando, 4440 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. Send participant nominations to cruiz@kqeinc.com. Include the candidate's name, age and why they should be offered one of the seats. For information, call (727) 463-8730.