In this episode of Stress-Free IEPTM, Frances Shefter speaks with Rachel Cederbaum, Founder and Lead Academic Coach of Gold Signature Writers, an academic and enrichment tutoring service for students in grades K-12.
Frances Shefter is an Education Attorney and Advocate who is committed to helping her clients have a Stress-Free IEP experience. In each podcast, Frances interviews inspiring people to share information, educate you, empower you and help you get the knowledge you need.
VOICEOVER ( 00:00:00): Welcome to Stress-Free IEPTM. You do not need to do it all alone with your host Frances Shefter, Principal of Shefter Law, she streams a show live on Facebook on Tuesdays at noon Eastern, get more details and catch prior episodes at www.ShefterLaw.com. The Stress-Free IEPTM video podcast is also posted on YouTube and LinkedIn and you can listen to episodes through Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts, Stitcher and more. Now, here’s the host of Stress-Free IEPTM Frances Shefter.
FRANCES ( 00:00:39): Hello, everyone. Happy Spring. Spring is finally here with some nice weather. Today’s special guest is Rachel Cederbaum with Gold Signature Writers. Rachel, please introduce yourself. Tell us a little about yourself.
RACHEL ( 00:00:55): Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I’m super excited to be here. I taught high school in Montgomery County for about 12 years before starting my company and I’m a mom of three littles, a two, a five and a seven year old, and the five and seven year olds go to school in the area and yeah, that’s a little bit about me.
FRANCES ( 00:01:16): Right. What did you teach in high school?
RACHEL ( 00:01:18): So, I would say that my teaching career began. Well, I decided I wanted to be a teacher in high school because I had a teacher named D-Minus Decker, who I think, that was the pivotal moment for me where I realized I wanted to do what he did. He just had a way of communicating and hearing us and making us feel like we, you know what we said mattered and thinking about literature in a completely different way. So, from there, I went to school for English and secondary education and I started teaching at BCC when I was 21. So I, it was, you know, I, I asked for freshmen and they were pretty surprised because no one really wants to teach the freshmen. But I thought that they, you know, that’s a formative year and there’s so much foundational and interskills that, that they’re building in terms of reading and writing strategies. So, that’s where I started my teaching career at BCC high school. And then, after about five years, I earned my Master’s degree in administration and supervision at Hopkins. And I decided I might as well use it, you know, I earned it, I should, I should try something new. And I left teaching and I went to become a middle years program coordinator as part of the IB program. And I think maybe day three, I realized it was a mistake, because I think kids are where it’s at. I don’t know, I really love the classroom and I love teaching and I thought this would be a new challenge. But I was still really young. I was, you know, I was 26. I was, the teachers I was training, they probably had about 10, 15 years of experience on me. And, you know, I, I should preface this with, I think teachers work harder than anyone in terms of planning, grading, prepping, regular communication, connection with students. There’s a lot that goes into it. And my job was to get them to work more, and not necessarily smarter. So it, it didn’t last very long. I lasted a year and then I went back to teaching at Walter Johnson High School.
FRANCES ( 00:03:19): Sounds similar to my story before law school because I was in the classroom for seven years in Liberty City in Miami and “hi” Poinciana Park people. Sorry, we still, I think some of them are probably watching Park and then decided I wanted to change and I wanted to be close to my parents. So I moved up to Palm Beach County, where I originally was teaching middle and high school special ed. But then within a few months, I became the special ed coordinator for two years and the person above me, like the district level was leaving and she was kind of trying to get me to take over her position. I’m like, this just doesn’t feel right and I wound up going to law school because that made sense for me. I’m not sure why, but I love it and I’m so happy because like, this is what I’m meant to be. You know, it’s about the kids.
RACHEL ( 00:04:15): It is, it is about the kids. And I feel like you have to try new things though and see and to learn it the hard way almost. You know, I’m sure once you were there, It’s not for me.
FRANCES ( 00:04:26): And I, I mean, what I love about it is that, that just because you chose one path doesn’t mean you have to stay on it. You know, you can swerve, you can pivot, you can do whatever you want. Exactly. So, so what got you to decide to start your company? Like, how did you start it? Why did, why did you decide the name?
RACHEL ( 00:04:46): And so I was always Miss Gold for many, many years. That, that was my maiden name and I felt very attached to that name. And, but then I fell in love with my husband and, you know, I changed my name. But so the interesting thing was when I was teaching, I, in, in my late twenties, a lot of my friends started getting married in quick succession and I needed to figure out how to afford, you know, the bridesmaid dress, the and I didn’t have the income. So I started tutoring, to supplement my income and I loved it. I absolutely loved it. So I started with two students at one point a week and then it, I took on four and then six and then eight I think. I was teaching full time and then tutoring every afternoon and evening, at a certain point and I, it was a lot but I really, really loved it. And then I, but then we got married and I had a baby and that he was kind of a game changer for me. So I decided, ok, well, I’m gonna teach part time and I’m gonna tutor. So I was doing both of those things. But of course, that makes more than full time. You know, I was, I was starting at seven and getting home after eight. And I think the pivotal moment for me was when I was, I was driving all over the DMV. So I was, it was just me for, for a lot of years and I pulled up to my third house and I was, you know, pumping while driving because I was breastfeeding my child. And I never done that, you know, I wouldn’t recommend it. But, you know, I get there and it’s eight o’clock at night. I haven’t seen my baby. I was teaching and now I was about to walk into the house and I was trying to scramble to, you know, take it off of me and I spilled it all over myself. And so I was, you know, that’s pretty much my story.
FRANCES ( 00:06:27): That is when you’re allowed to cry over spilled milk.
RACHEL ( 00:06:31): 100%. You work so hard for it. You know, you’re getting weird looks from people driving next to you. But, yeah, so I had breast milk all over me and it was eight o’clock at night. And I think that was the moment I realized I have to pick one. I can’t do both anymore. I can’t teach and tutor and I loved both things. I really love teaching and it was part of my identity at that point. But I wanted a bit more of a balance which, you know, I think is kind of like a magical unicorn for parents anyway. But I, I did want that and I realized that maybe tutoring would be more sustainable and it felt really risky at the time. But I left teaching and I started tutoring by myself and that’s how it started. But then when I had my daughter and my son and they started to become school aged, I realized I wasn’t seeing them at all because I was working when they were at home and I was missing bedtime. And so, and then fast forward, fast forward to my third kid and I, I didn’t want to leave my tutoring students because at that point, I had about 15 students a week and, but, you know, there’s no maternity leave when you’re self-employed. So I realized, well, if I’m gonna do this, I need a replacement and I don’t want to leave my kids for three months without support, and I wanted some time with my newborn. So I hired one person and he started it all. So he was, he’s phenomenal. I got connected to him. He’s a graduate student at UVA and he had some flexibility in his schedule. He’s getting his PhD and he took over all 15 of my students. They loved him. A lot of them stayed with him, which was amazing. And he kind of broke the ice. I realized, OK, well, maybe I don’t have to do it all myself. Maybe there’s a way to work a little bit smarter and have some time with my, you know, then very, very young kids and it, you know, this is 2020. So the world had just fallen apart. And people were virtual. So it, yeah, I, I hired him and then I hired a couple more and then five turned to 10 and 10 turned to 20 and now I have a team of 40 educators. So 40 yes, 40 educators, they’re all I’d say 90% of them are classroom teachers and it’s been super fun.
FRANCES ( 00:08:36): So awesome. So then they can pick and choose and not have to work the insane hours of running our own business.
RACHEL ( 00:08:42): Exactly. And, you know, it’s, and I’m pretty flexible so, some of them, you know, they only want to work with one or two students, and that’s, that’s all they can take on. And I’m totally respectful of that because I think, I think again it’s so hard teaching full time and tutoring. So I, some of them work with 8 to 10 students. It’s very flexible, which is nice.
FRANCES ( 00:9:03): Yeah, I remember those days, you know, I think all new, I think all, you know, first couple of years teaching you did something. I taught Hebrew school. I tutored, you know, you do a little of all of it.
RACHEL ( 00:9:12): All of it and you cry a lot but you get through it. Yeah.
FRANCES ( 00:9:16): No. And we started around the, my firm started around the same time as you. Yeah, because my, I was doing a full time job, document review miserable. But I was doing a full time job most of the time and then when I was getting pregnant with my daughter, my husband’s like, with me, you know, my husband and I had just gotten married and where he’s like, you know, let it go. I can support us and that was it. So, you know, so my baby and my law firm have, like, grown up, you know.
RACHEL ( 00:9:52): They’re both your babies. I know that feeling.
FRANCES ( 00:9:55): Exactly. And she’s eight and then I have a five year old also. I shouldn’t say eight. She will be nine in three days. Oh, yeah, it’s amazing how it’s like, it’s awesome. Like having the children and growing together, and the flexibility.
RACHEL ( 00:10:14): Oh yes. Pick them up at school and be there for activities on your own terms. But you can also do what you love. Which I think has been really awesome, you know.
FRANCES ( 00:10:22): Yeah, I was a little luckier because my hours were usually school hours. So that’s nice. You know, most of the time. But, so what makes you different? Like there’s so many, you know, tutoring companies, you know, Kumon and all the big name ones. Why would they choose you? What makes you special?
RACHEL ( 00:10:42): So, I like to think that I’ve become a lot more highly qualified for what I do now that I am a parent, to be honest because at first I didn’t realize why someone, especially in this area. I mean, people have multiple degrees, they’re brilliant. They are professional writers and mathematicians and engineers and, and I, you know, I’d always think, ok, well, why am I, you know, why do you, why are you hiring me to support your child when you’re fully capable? Now that I’m a parent I, it’s a very humbling experience and you realized pretty early on that, you know, if you’re mom or dad it’s 10 billion times harder. So I understand why people would hire one of my tutors because I think because they’re classroom teachers, they understand where students are and where they need to get them to go. I always get parents on the phone so I can learn everything I need to know about their child, the profile of the child. But also, you know, the idiosyncrasies that only a parent would know that is important to make the best connection with a tutor. And I, we call them academic coaches because it’s not just content specialists, they’re really their learning specialists or reading specialists or executive functioning specialists. They are considering the whole child. And we spend a lot of our energy helping the students organize and plan and time manage and also figure out you know how to build confidence. It’s something that I think my practice spends a lot of energy on and it’s a gut feeling. And I think as a teacher and as a parent, when I, when I hire someone, it’s, it’s just something that I like I know in my gut, this is gonna be, this is someone who’s a great teacher and they’re gonna be able to reach the students. And I think it’s really connection before content.I know a lot of tutor companies might say that, but I, I think that’s something that’s just like in my heart that, that, that the people I hire have that same sentiment and feeling.
FRANCES ( 00:12:30): I say the same thing. It’s like trust your gut, you know, especially, you know, especially parents. Something is not right. Something’s not right.
RACHEL ( 00:12:39): Exactly. Exactly. And I feel like that, that they just want someone who’s gonna help their child, of course, with the content or specific challenges that they’re having, but also figure out how to get that child to understand how their brain works and how they best learn and from there they can, you know, of course, become more independent and confident and that’s everything, you know, a parent wants for their child.
FRANCES ( 00:13:01): Right, so I was gonna go into that a little bit more the academic confidence. Like how do you help with that? It’s such a struggle. I know for me, I couldn’t spell, my daughter is struggling with spelling. Like how do you get them to the point that it’s ok?
RACHEL ( 00:13:16): So I would say that I have my PhD in anxiety.You know, I’ve, I’ve something I’ve studied my entire life, something I’ve lived with my entire life. So I, I feel like it’s, it can be a hindrance for confidence, right? It can get in the way of knowing your potential and your ability. And so I feel like what I do with my students and what I you can easily do not easily, but you can try with your child is to figure out you know, again how their brain works. Are they kinesthetic learners? Are they auditory learners? Are they visual learners? And that takes some, you know, kind of digging especially with the younger elementary, elementary school students. So I usually start with my students personalizing the situation because a lot of what I find with the students who are, who don’t have anxiety. I’m sorry, who don’t have confidence, they either have anxiety or they really struggle with the content area and they don’t want you to tell them how to do it, that just makes them feel inadequate. So instead I focus on taking it back to me. So, you know, when I get stuck, I don’t understand what I’m reading, this is what helps me and I try this and I, you know, I usually hate it when I can’t understand what the question is asking me. So I try to break it down word by word and I bring it back to myself and the depersonalization helps a lot. I think they hear, oh, well, she struggled too so that it’s ok that I’m struggling because, you know, she’s a teacher and she struggled and it kind of normalizes that. And then I think a lot of what I do to build confidence is to figure out what strategy is gonna work best for that child. So, you know, I think as parents, we were guilty of this sometimes we think, oh, well, in the nineties, we use flashcards. So we suggest that to our child, you know, and you know, it’s 2023 things have changed. There’s Quizlet, there’s a billion other things that they can use. And so it’s trying to understand what works best for your kids. So if, if they’re an extrovert maybe suggesting that they learn with a friend, right? And because that’s how they’re gonna remember and retain the information. A lot of it is, especially if the kid is anxious or struggles with testing anxiety is figuring out kind of like a scavenger hunt for an elementary school kid. You know what’s going to be on the test. Let’s look at the portal together. Let’s figure out, is it gonna be multiple choice? Is it gonna be short answer? Let’s look at the study guides because I bet we can figure out the content of the exam and that previewing and kind of prepping like you would do for a kid, you know, who has social anxiety or whatever it is, makes them feel more empowered. Like, ok, well, I know what’s gonna be on it. I’m ready. I’ve done this before. It’s kind of like a little pep talk. So it’s not just the skill building, it’s the figuring out the specific strategy that will make that child feel most successful and sometimes it’s giving them tools, you know, like telling them they can voice record if they’re staring at a blank screen. A lot of my students, I do that with them because they can dictate an entire essay to me. But they can’t get the, they can’t get the writing on paper. So I tell them, you know, to voice record and so it’s figuring out my child, what they need and then helping them build that skill. So again, it, of course, goes hand in hand with the confidence once they feel like they figured it out.
FRANCES ( 00:16:20): Right. Which is pretty much what we do with IEPs as well, you know, a combination, speech to text.
RACHEL ( 00:16:28): Exactly.
FRANCES ( 00:16:31): But yeah, but I think they’re getting, I think schools are getting a little bit better about speech to text because it’s more normal on everything and I think it’s open to almost everybody. That doesn’t mean, don’t put it on the IEP but it’s still there.
RACHEL ( 00:16:45): Yes. And I, I, as a classroom teacher, I feel like, you know, teachers, they, great teachers do it anyway. They provide modified patience for students that they need, you know, even if it’s not formally in an IEP. And then of course, there’s exceptions, you need to advocate for your kid and get it in writing. It needs to be in writing. But, but my point is that as a tutor, it’s, you know, you’re one on one with the students so you can easily figure out what that kid needs, you know, but I remember as a classroom teacher, I, I didn’t realize that you weren’t allowed to say that. You know, I would, I would say, you know, this kid really needs extended time and I, you kind of get your hand slapped a little bit like you’re not supposed to say what that kid needs. And I was, I was horrified. I thought, I was very stunned. I was, didn’t know now, I know. You know, but it’s really sad because I think that the teachers know what’s best for the kid, the parents know what’s best for the kids. So it really should be just allowed.
FRANCES ( 00:17:34): It’s frustrating, it’s frustrating when the team and that’s part of the reason that I left as well. And it’s not necessarily the principal or the, you know, it’s just the way the system is. You can’t always fight as much as you want for your, for the children as when you’re on the school side. And it’s hard and, you know, it’s interesting because my teaching background, which I’m sure like yours, I can help pull it out of teachers figuring out what they’re doing naturally. Because I say it all, you know, I know it all the time. Like the, like you said it, the good teachers, most teachers have those accommodations, they do that stuff, they do the frequent check ins. And so it’ll be something like, would you ever check in with them? How often? And that’s like when I ask them a direct question like that they answer and it’s ok. You know, and that’s how we get it on to the IEP, because next year we might not have that teacher, we might be at a different school.
RACHEL ( 00:18:35): Exactly. So, are you putting the kid at the front of the room? Are you regularly checking in? You know, does he need a little bit more time? Does he need the classroom notes? I mean, the, the teachers will be able to communicate but that, but the sad thing is they don’t always feel like they can, and I, and so with tutoring it’s just been nice, I think to see that, that you can create your own curriculum, that you can do whatever you want. There’s no, you know, you, because as an educator, you know what that kid needs and there’s no, there’s not as many limitations with testing it with someone telling you what’s right for that kid. But you have the educator intuition or the parent intuition to know. So, I think it’s a little bit more freeing that way.
FRANCES ( 00:19:13): Yeah, because I know, I mean, from what I know about the big tutoring companies, like you do the assessment and these are your weaknesses and now you’re gonna drill on those weaknesses and, you know, drill and skill that is, you know, skill and drill, whatever it was called, but way back, you know.
RACHEL ( 00:19:28): Yeah. No, No, I think that’s, I think that’s really why I’ve been successful is because I don’t micromanage. I, this is not my, it’s not my personality. And I also know that, like I said, teachers are some of the hardest working people out there. And so if they do this every day with, you know, 150 students, then they can do it with one. And so I don’t tell them how to teach or what to teach. I have very little requirements because they are experts in their content knowledge, but they’re also experts in their craft. And I do think teaching is a craft. I don’t think it’s just, I don’t think anyone can teach. You can be as smart as you can but if you can’t reach a kid that it really means nothing. So, that’s partly, I think why it’s, it’s worked out because they have the freedom to not only create their own schedule but also to just do it the way that they know is best for kids. So, I don’t, I don’t hand them a curriculum, though that curriculum was very helpful when I was 21. I just read it.
FRANCES ( 00:20:22): What am I doing tomorrow?
RACHEL ( 00:20:25): Exactly. This is how I remember. Oh, yeah.
FRANCES ( 00:20:27): Lesson plans, don’t forget page da da da.
RACHEL ( 00:20:30): Yeah. It was like 15 pages for a day of how to teach, what to teach, what to say when and you know, honestly, it was super helpful when I was 21 then I threw it away in, in a year or two. When you figure it out. But yeah, I think it’s nice to give teachers the flexibility to, to do what they know what they know how to do and what they’re meant to do.
FRANCES ( 00:20:51): So how does it work then? Because if you have so many tutors, do you screen all families that come in, to pick which tutor, like how does that work in your company?
RACHEL ( 00:21:01): So they reach out to me first and then I set up a call and I learn about the child, I learn about you know, their school history and their profile if they have an IEP for example, or 504. And it, what’s worked in the past, what hasn’t worked in the past? The, whether it’s like the parent, the kid has a physics exam and it’s just short term physics support that happens. But most of my clients are a long term relationship. So up to, you know, three or four years all through high school and foundational writing strategies or struggling with math or executive functioning organization. So whatever it is that their child needs, I get them on the phone and I then I can find the best match. So I consider of course the teacher’s bio and expertise, but also location because our tutors travel to the student’s home. So. Oh, yeah, they’re in person. I’d say three of them are remote because they’re getting their PhD at UVA and they have some clients, you know, but for the most part post-pandemic I find that parents are zoomed out. So, kids are zoomed out. Everyone’s zoomed out. So, yeah, exactly. So, they know. So the demand has mostly been in person and the tutors go to their home or a private location, like a public location, like a library or a coffee shop. But for the most part, it’s in home and it’s based on the expertise of the tutor and the profile of the student and what’s gonna be the best match. And I always tell parent, you know, if it’s not a good fit, let me know. You know, sometimes I, I really, that rarely happens but if it does, I want them to feel comfortable because again, this is gonna be a long term relationship and I want the kid to feel like this is the best match. And so there’s flexibility there.
FRANCES ( 00:22:47): Right. That is always the hardest thing with the best match because, you know, I have this like when I talk about placements in schools that the, you know, the school’s not meeting the child’s needs.I know the teacher brain in me goes, I am. Yes. I am, I’m doing that. You know what I mean? And that’s the thing, we know it’s not on the teacher. You are doing the best you can, we know that you are, but this child needs more and you physically can’t give more because you have 25 other students.
RACHEL ( 00:23:19): Exactly. I know and sometimes it’s having the honest conversation with yourself about it. Right. Like this is just not gonna work and it is not a personal thing. It’s not, it’s not necessarily the tutor’s fault either. Right. It’s not, it’s just not a good personality match. Right. They might have, right.
FRANCES ( 00:23:33): It’s just we all have that. You get along with coworkers, bosses, you know, whatever it is you get along with them, you don’t get along with them. Why do we force kids to get along with?
RACHEL ( 00:23:42): No. Yes. And I, I find that a lot of the, what’s important to me is the feedback to parents because, you know, as a parent, if I’m hiring a tutor to come to my home and work with my child, I want to know exactly what you’ve focused on the development areas where they’re excelling, you know, what’s coming up next week in terms of classroom, you know, content, but also just more so, how’s my kid doing? You know, are they responding well to tutoring? What are you finding? So there’s always like a detailed feedback after each session, whether that’s a conversation with a parent or a detailed email, I think that’s super important. So just a report.so we do that as, as protocol, so to speak. And then I think it just, it just means a, it’s, that’s the only like requirement I have for my tutors that you have to give it, you have to regularly communicate with the parents. You have to loop in the learning specialist or the teacher when possible. It just, there has to be a team to support the child, to make sure that they’re meeting their goals, whether it’s an IEP goal or just a personal goal.
FRANCES ( 00:24:42): You just like loop in. So do your tutors work like with the school staff?
RACHEL ( 00:24:48): Yes. Oftentimes they do. So, for example, the learning specialist at a private school will let the tutor know a little bit about the curriculum so that they can best design a, you know, lesson plan to individualize to that student, but also what they’re learning in school. So the learning specialist will communicate with the tutor and then oftentimes the tutor will communicate with the teacher. So they’re all on the same page.
FRANCES ( 00:25:12): That’s awesome. Yeah, because that’s, that’s always been the hardest thing. Occasionally there are parents that don’t want to connect the outside with the school for whatever reason. And it’s just, I don’t know why, like it just, it, to me that just, it blows my mind, you know, because you need the, you know, the continuity throughout the day. If you’re teaching one way and somebody else is teaching another way, you’re confusing the child and they’re never going to get it.
RACHEL ( 00:25:40): Exactly. And it’s also just a heads up, you know, if I’m, if the tutor is meeting with the child, they have this major essay coming up. They haven’t, she’s noticing that they haven’t read, they haven’t annotated. They, they’re really struggling with the content or they need help with writing strategies or syntax or it’s just a heads up to the tutor. This is what I should focus on and of course, the tutor can figure that out when they look at the kids draft or whatnot. But it is just to, to be on the same page about the development areas and to focus, you know, as a team. Although I, I understand when I was a teacher, I didn’t. So, again, it’s a humbling experience. You don’t, you learn a lot as you go. And I am on the other side like you are, you know, you are a special education teacher now you’re on the other side of the IEP table. So it’s a, it’s a different kind of adventure. But I think it’s, it’s, it gives you the whole picture in a sense that it’s nice. It’s valuable.
FRANCES ( 00:26:26): Yeah. It’s like what is the saying. I wish I was as good of a parent as I was before I had children. Exactly. It’s like a reality check I would do.
RACHEL ( 00:26:36): I would be amazing. But yes.
FRANCES ( 00:26:36): I, I remember, I remember tutoring for a family and, like you said, and, you know, there was a family that, that they were wealthy and, you know, I asked, I was like, why do you work? You know what I mean? Like, and she’s like to get out of here and then she’s also, she’s like, and I hate the tutoring and she goes, I hate the school stuff. So, outsource it. And I think that’s, you know, and that’s, that’s so important for business owners and parents. Yes. Outsource what you can. Yes.
RACHEL ( 00:27:04): Exactly. And honestly, there’s some guilt that is associated with it. I feel because, you know, I taught English for so many years and, and then my, I’m working with my five year old on reading and she’ll only work on her sight words with me while she’s jumping from the couch to the, to the mattress in the basement. And she’ll read it, like, in air and I’m like, ok, well, I guess this is how we’re doing it, you know. So, it’s, it’s where I thought forever that I would be an amazing English teacher for my daughter. But no, I’m, I’m an amazing English teacher for anyone but my daughter, and she’s wonderful but it’s, the struggle is real. And so I think, the guilt of, like you said, outsourcing has dissipated with each child, I add to my family but also with, you know, the growing my business and realizing that you just simply can’t do it all and you should do what you want to focus on if you have, if you can. And maybe, and maybe a teacher who’s not mom will be a better fit, you know, and that’s ok.
FRANCES ( 00:28:00): Yeah. And that’s, you know, I remember I babysat my nephew one time and I got him to eat green peas and his parents were like you did what? He ate them for me. You know, which of course, just like my kids will eat things for them that they wouldn’t even touch in my household. It just, it’s not mom. It’s not dad.
RACHEL ( 00:28:18): And that’s why I’m just so grateful the schools are open and running and, you know, when, when we were doing Zoom school and when we were, when we were trying to teach our, teach our children, it’s just, it’s a, it’s a real, it’s hard. We’re not meant to, to do everything. I think. So I’m just grateful for my, my kids’ kindergarten teacher and first grade teacher and they’re just phenomenal and I’ve seen so much growth and so I think, you know, as a, as a parent and as a tutor you, you see that, I just, I’ve never appreciated them more than I do now because I think it’s never been harder than it is now. Post pandemic world.
FRANCES ( 00:28:52): Yeah, it’s, and, and they’re well, and they’re switching up how they teach, which is not, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. The only thing that used to get me frustrated is that they taught to the children, you know, to the middle of the class like they have to do. But it, that style doesn’t work for some. And it’s oh well, I know it’s so frustrating that, you know, the kids need more and I guess that’s where you can come in to help the child that it’s ok that you don’t learn this way. This is the way your brain works and this is how we can help you get up your skills.
RACHEL ( 00:29:25): Exactly. Yes. And then, and also just understanding and empathizing with them, like, because I think kids need to hear more often that learning is hard. I don’t think we tell them that enough. I think we just, we kind of expect them to get there, especially now, you know, in MCPS we’ve just advanced everything, you know, kindergarten is the new first grade. You know, it’s just this whole, push them ahead, push them ahead, push them ahead and, and they need to know that. Oh, you know, I, I tell my kids all the time, math was super hard for me. I went to extra help all the time and I needed to do that to succeed and that was, that was what I needed to do for myself. And so giving them that understanding that it’s ok to struggle and that’s, and sit in that messy middle, even though it’s uncomfortable for everyone. It’s, it’s hard as a parent to see your kids struggle, and it’s hard for them to feel that way, but that’s how you learn and that’s how you get, you know, figure it out. So I think that I try to tell that to my students all the time that, you know, just either alleviate some of that feeling of inadequacy or lack of confidence and let them know that, that it’s ok.
FRANCES ( 00:30:28): Yeah, it’s, you know, I’m thinking back to the outsourcing and I remember it was the guilt, like, you know, like, no, you know, I can do it all. I’m a former teacher. Why can’t I do it all? And it’s just, but that’s not my zone. Right. That’s not where I’m good. And so, you know what, I’m going to hire the maids to clean every week because that’s not my area. I cannot do that, you know?
RACHEL ( 00:30:50): No, I can’t. No. And I’ve had, I mean, professional writers who are published and like, Head of the Washington Post and I’m sitting there working with their kid on a college essay and it’s just they’re mom and it’s, that’s ok, you know, they could, they could easily help, but not really because there’s gonna be fighting and there’s gonna be tension and there’s gonna be difficulty. And so I, I just think that it’s giving yourself some grace and understanding. Yes, you could do it. But maybe, maybe that’s not your best and highest use at this moment just because, you don’t want there to be, there’s going to be conflict. And so that, I think that what, that’s what we like a pain point that I am, that my company needs for parents, that we can alleviate that, take something off their plate and they know that their kid’s still getting an amazing education and the personal attention that they need, but it just doesn’t have to lead to kind of the battles that exist.
FRANCES ( 00:31:40): So, and that’s the biggest one I have often. You know, it takes us two hours to do homework and the teacher’s like it shouldn’t take that long.
RACHEL ( 00:31:49): I had to get my kid to sit and I had to get them to take out their book and, you know, it’s a whole process.
FRANCES ( 00:31:53): And, you know, every problem they got a five minute break and it was a struggle. Exactly. Which you know thinking about it. Like the child’s not learning in that environment, not when the child’s already struggling, right. Their mindset is, is not available for learning.
RACHEL ( 00:32:9): No. And that’s why I always tell parents that sometimes, you know, when I, when I meet with a student, I can tell that this is just not, they’re not in that zone that, that learning is not gonna happen until I figure out what’s going on with them. And that’s why I feel like, I mean, there is like an academic crisis but more, more significantly I’m finding there’s a mental health crisis and kids are just, especially, you know, 2020, 2021. I think we’re slowly digging our way out of it. But oftentimes I would just sit with the kid and just figure out what’s going on and try to work through that a bit before we get to the content because, you know, you can’t learn if you’re not in a place to wrap your head around any sort of content because you’re sitting with whatever it is that’s going on in your mind. So I think a lot of that is like the relationship that you develop with a kid can unpack that in a way that’s important for their academic success and growth and confidence. So,yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s hard, it’s hard sometimes to be a student these days because there’s just so much piled up and, and the activities that they’re involved in and they don’t have a chance to breathe. So sometimes it’s like get up, take a wiggle break, we’ll, we’ll meet when you’re, you know, in a better space.
FRANCES ( 00:33:15): Yeah, I was just thinking about that, that you know, some kids, like when I get IEPs in place, a lot of times children will say like, you know, I don’t need that. I’m not special ed, and I’m sure some of your students are saying I don’t need tutoring, you know, which kind of connected in my brain is now connecting to us as parents outsourcing. Oh, yes, because we’re now teaching our children, we don’t have to do everything and it’s ok to get extra help.
RACHEL ( 00:33:43): Absolutely. And I think that’s really important and it’s also like with the right tutor, they’re not gonna, they’re, they’re still doing all the work, right. They’re still figuring it out on their own, their, their support system, really an accountability partner. And that’s another thing that I think makes our tutors really helpful is they’ll check in with the students, you know, at the beginning or the end of the week. Oftentimes, like, shoot them a text or an email and say, like, how’s that paper going? You know? So, it’s like, and it’s, it, they’re not gonna get the backlash that they might get from a, from a parent, you know, so I feel like that accountability and that connection is really important.
FRANCES ( 00:34:19): Yeah, definitely. And it’s, you know, the parent, we can’t do it all.
RACHEL ( 00:34:24): You’re absolutely right. And that’s, and that’s ok and, and that’s where the support, you know, that just like a therapist or a, a tutor or a health and wellness coach. I mean it’s, there’s a team of people out there that’s the reason why these professions exist because, you know, we need support. It’s just like the human experience. So it’s ok.
FRANCES ( 00:34:44): That’s ok. And then there was one other question I was thinking about, because you said physics exam and I’m like, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. I’m assuming you have tutors that specialize in certain things. And if you don’t have one that has that skill, you’ll either go find it or tell the parents. Right.
RACHEL ( 00:35:03): Yeah. No, absolutely. So if they, so they’ll say my kid has an AP physics exam, do you have someone qualified? And I do or, you know, BC Calc, I’d say the most popular request is Math and English. But we definitely have specialized teachers and I’ve grown the learning specialists part of my team. So those who are experienced executive functioning coaches because that’s also in super high demand, especially these days.you know, with organizational deficits and focused, it’s just like the need for, for someone to help you figure it out, how to plan and how to, and how to get the assignments done in a timely fashion, what to prioritize. And so,in that way, that’s, I feel like more than just a content specialist who can help with the math test is someone who can help the child figure out how to plan out all academic subjects, right? So even if they’re not, like you said, a physics professor or teacher, they can help the child figure out how to study for that exam. Right. So, and I think, yeah, so I feel like the content, honestly, I’ve, I’ve helped students study for physics exams and I don’t understand anything about the content but it’s, but what I do understand is how to learn and how to, and how to study. And so I, I’ll often put the kid in the hot seat and ask them to teach me the content and they will get, I can immediately see them like stand up straight or, or, or if they don’t know the answer, then I’ll ask them to show me the teacher’s notes to show me the answer key. How did the teacher get to that answer? And then they’ll have to figure out how to problem solve and how to, and how to explain it. And I feel like, you know, there’s a cliche that like you don’t learn anything until you can teach it right? Or you don’t know anything. I have learned that with tutoring that I, it doesn’t, it’s not as much as content as it is. Like I said, it’s a craft, right? It can, you teach kids how to learn and how their brain works and how, and how they, that there are particular strategies that they need to be successful and it can, you reach them that way and that’s everything. And so even if you’re not a content specialist, though I never would set up an English teacher with, you know, a physics student forever. Never. But still there’s the learning strategies that like an executive functioning or learning specialist will be able to help a student with. And I think that’s, that’s important because it’s, it’s how they learn.
FRANCES ( 00:37:17): Right? It makes so much sense and it’s also the confidence like walking into the exam saying I’ve got this. Yeah. Versus the, I don’t know. Am I gonna fail? Am I gonna pass? You know, like it’s just where your mind is at that beginning is huge.
RACHEL ( 00:37:31): Yes. And, and figuring out what’s gonna be on the test, right? Like helping the kid, you know, if your teacher posted all these slides and she’s telling you to study, this is something the kids often don’t, they just don’t necessarily know that’s important when the teacher is telling them like, study this. Like it’s, you know, it sounds silly but you just like telling them, ok, well, it seems like the hints that the teacher is giving you about the content of the exam is gonna be x, y and z from what she’s posted on her classroom. So maybe we start there and then they walk in knowing, ok. Well, I’ve got this, I’ve studied everything she’s told me. I know it. I’ve rehearsed it and the key is though, have they rehearsed it in the way that it’s gonna stick? So, have they said it out loud or are they standing in the mirror, you know, talking to themselves or are they working with friends? Like it’s, you need each child? So, I think it’s important to figure that out.
FRANCES ( 00:38:19): I feel like we could talk all day. It’s like we’re so, we’re so in the same area of just, you know, it’s about the kids and you don’t need to do it all alone, you know, and that’s the whole thing. And that’s, you know what I tell potential clients and parents, you know? Well, you know, can I do an IEP meeting on my own? 100%. But why?
RACHEL ( 00:38:40): Right.
FRANCES ( 00:38:40): The school has nine people, you know, bring an advocate, bring an attorney or just talk to one of us, you know, I do strategy sessions and so I tell parents just set an hour meeting with me. I can prep you and tell you what to expect and get you in the right mindset and give you some, you know, some basic terminology to use to get where you want to be. You don’t have to hire me to come to everything. You know.
RACHEL ( 00:39:07): It’s important because I feel like my friend the other day was like, I wish they just said what they wanted to say in the IEP meeting, you know, and it’s, that’s, it’s so real because she’s like, can you just say what you’re thinking? And instead of, you know, and they all laugh. But it’s true. It’s the idea that they don’t, teachers don’t feel like they can say what’s on their mind and that’s why they need you to, to tell them to get what they need written down. Even though like we said, the teachers are probably doing the accommodation, great teachers are doing accommodations and modifications anyway. I want this in writing for my kids and he’s gonna move on, right? And that needs to move on with him, that document. So.
FRANCES ( 00:39:41): Exactly. All right. Well, thank you so much for being on my show.
RACHEL ( 00:39:47): Thank you so much for having me. I loved it.
VOICEOVER ( 00:42:48): You’ve been listening to Stress-Free IEPTM. With your host Frances Shefter. Remember you do not need to do it all alone. You can reach Frances through ShefterLaw.com where prior episodes are also posted. Thank you for your positive reviews, comments and sharing the show with others through YouTube, LinkedIn, Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and more.
Stress Free IEP™ with Frances Shefter and Rachel Cederbaum
In this episode of Stress-Free IEPTM, Frances Shefter speaks with Rachel Cederbaum, Founder and Lead Academic Coach of Gold Signature Writers, an academic and enrichment tutoring service for students in grades K-12.
Stress-Free IEPTM:
Frances Shefter is an Education Attorney and Advocate who is committed to helping her clients have a Stress-Free IEP experience. In each podcast, Frances interviews inspiring people to share information, educate you, empower you and help you get the knowledge you need.
Watch more episodes of Stress-FreeTM on YouTube.
Connect and learn more from your host, Frances Shefter:
Read the full transcript:
VOICEOVER ( 00:00:00): Welcome to Stress-Free IEPTM. You do not need to do it all alone with your host Frances Shefter, Principal of Shefter Law, she streams a show live on Facebook on Tuesdays at noon Eastern, get more details and catch prior episodes at www.ShefterLaw.com. The Stress-Free IEPTM video podcast is also posted on YouTube and LinkedIn and you can listen to episodes through Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts, Stitcher and more. Now, here’s the host of Stress-Free IEPTM Frances Shefter.
FRANCES ( 00:00:39): Hello, everyone. Happy Spring. Spring is finally here with some nice weather. Today’s special guest is Rachel Cederbaum with Gold Signature Writers. Rachel, please introduce yourself. Tell us a little about yourself.
RACHEL ( 00:00:55): Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I’m super excited to be here. I taught high school in Montgomery County for about 12 years before starting my company and I’m a mom of three littles, a two, a five and a seven year old, and the five and seven year olds go to school in the area and yeah, that’s a little bit about me.
FRANCES ( 00:01:16): Right. What did you teach in high school?
RACHEL ( 00:01:18): So, I would say that my teaching career began. Well, I decided I wanted to be a teacher in high school because I had a teacher named D-Minus Decker, who I think, that was the pivotal moment for me where I realized I wanted to do what he did. He just had a way of communicating and hearing us and making us feel like we, you know what we said mattered and thinking about literature in a completely different way. So, from there, I went to school for English and secondary education and I started teaching at BCC when I was 21. So I, it was, you know, I, I asked for freshmen and they were pretty surprised because no one really wants to teach the freshmen. But I thought that they, you know, that’s a formative year and there’s so much foundational and interskills that, that they’re building in terms of reading and writing strategies. So, that’s where I started my teaching career at BCC high school. And then, after about five years, I earned my Master’s degree in administration and supervision at Hopkins. And I decided I might as well use it, you know, I earned it, I should, I should try something new. And I left teaching and I went to become a middle years program coordinator as part of the IB program. And I think maybe day three, I realized it was a mistake, because I think kids are where it’s at. I don’t know, I really love the classroom and I love teaching and I thought this would be a new challenge. But I was still really young. I was, you know, I was 26. I was, the teachers I was training, they probably had about 10, 15 years of experience on me. And, you know, I, I should preface this with, I think teachers work harder than anyone in terms of planning, grading, prepping, regular communication, connection with students. There’s a lot that goes into it. And my job was to get them to work more, and not necessarily smarter. So it, it didn’t last very long. I lasted a year and then I went back to teaching at Walter Johnson High School.
FRANCES ( 00:03:19): Sounds similar to my story before law school because I was in the classroom for seven years in Liberty City in Miami and “hi” Poinciana Park people. Sorry, we still, I think some of them are probably watching Park and then decided I wanted to change and I wanted to be close to my parents. So I moved up to Palm Beach County, where I originally was teaching middle and high school special ed. But then within a few months, I became the special ed coordinator for two years and the person above me, like the district level was leaving and she was kind of trying to get me to take over her position. I’m like, this just doesn’t feel right and I wound up going to law school because that made sense for me. I’m not sure why, but I love it and I’m so happy because like, this is what I’m meant to be. You know, it’s about the kids.
RACHEL ( 00:04:15): It is, it is about the kids. And I feel like you have to try new things though and see and to learn it the hard way almost. You know, I’m sure once you were there, It’s not for me.
FRANCES ( 00:04:26): And I, I mean, what I love about it is that, that just because you chose one path doesn’t mean you have to stay on it. You know, you can swerve, you can pivot, you can do whatever you want. Exactly. So, so what got you to decide to start your company? Like, how did you start it? Why did, why did you decide the name?
RACHEL ( 00:04:46): And so I was always Miss Gold for many, many years. That, that was my maiden name and I felt very attached to that name. And, but then I fell in love with my husband and, you know, I changed my name. But so the interesting thing was when I was teaching, I, in, in my late twenties, a lot of my friends started getting married in quick succession and I needed to figure out how to afford, you know, the bridesmaid dress, the and I didn’t have the income. So I started tutoring, to supplement my income and I loved it. I absolutely loved it. So I started with two students at one point a week and then it, I took on four and then six and then eight I think. I was teaching full time and then tutoring every afternoon and evening, at a certain point and I, it was a lot but I really, really loved it. And then I, but then we got married and I had a baby and that he was kind of a game changer for me. So I decided, ok, well, I’m gonna teach part time and I’m gonna tutor. So I was doing both of those things. But of course, that makes more than full time. You know, I was, I was starting at seven and getting home after eight. And I think the pivotal moment for me was when I was, I was driving all over the DMV. So I was, it was just me for, for a lot of years and I pulled up to my third house and I was, you know, pumping while driving because I was breastfeeding my child. And I never done that, you know, I wouldn’t recommend it. But, you know, I get there and it’s eight o’clock at night. I haven’t seen my baby. I was teaching and now I was about to walk into the house and I was trying to scramble to, you know, take it off of me and I spilled it all over myself. And so I was, you know, that’s pretty much my story.
FRANCES ( 00:06:27): That is when you’re allowed to cry over spilled milk.
RACHEL ( 00:06:31): 100%. You work so hard for it. You know, you’re getting weird looks from people driving next to you. But, yeah, so I had breast milk all over me and it was eight o’clock at night. And I think that was the moment I realized I have to pick one. I can’t do both anymore. I can’t teach and tutor and I loved both things. I really love teaching and it was part of my identity at that point. But I wanted a bit more of a balance which, you know, I think is kind of like a magical unicorn for parents anyway. But I, I did want that and I realized that maybe tutoring would be more sustainable and it felt really risky at the time. But I left teaching and I started tutoring by myself and that’s how it started. But then when I had my daughter and my son and they started to become school aged, I realized I wasn’t seeing them at all because I was working when they were at home and I was missing bedtime. And so, and then fast forward, fast forward to my third kid and I, I didn’t want to leave my tutoring students because at that point, I had about 15 students a week and, but, you know, there’s no maternity leave when you’re self-employed. So I realized, well, if I’m gonna do this, I need a replacement and I don’t want to leave my kids for three months without support, and I wanted some time with my newborn. So I hired one person and he started it all. So he was, he’s phenomenal. I got connected to him. He’s a graduate student at UVA and he had some flexibility in his schedule. He’s getting his PhD and he took over all 15 of my students. They loved him. A lot of them stayed with him, which was amazing. And he kind of broke the ice. I realized, OK, well, maybe I don’t have to do it all myself. Maybe there’s a way to work a little bit smarter and have some time with my, you know, then very, very young kids and it, you know, this is 2020. So the world had just fallen apart. And people were virtual. So it, yeah, I, I hired him and then I hired a couple more and then five turned to 10 and 10 turned to 20 and now I have a team of 40 educators. So 40 yes, 40 educators, they’re all I’d say 90% of them are classroom teachers and it’s been super fun.
FRANCES ( 00:08:36): So awesome. So then they can pick and choose and not have to work the insane hours of running our own business.
RACHEL ( 00:08:42): Exactly. And, you know, it’s, and I’m pretty flexible so, some of them, you know, they only want to work with one or two students, and that’s, that’s all they can take on. And I’m totally respectful of that because I think, I think again it’s so hard teaching full time and tutoring. So I, some of them work with 8 to 10 students. It’s very flexible, which is nice.
FRANCES ( 00:9:03): Yeah, I remember those days, you know, I think all new, I think all, you know, first couple of years teaching you did something. I taught Hebrew school. I tutored, you know, you do a little of all of it.
RACHEL ( 00:9:12): All of it and you cry a lot but you get through it. Yeah.
FRANCES ( 00:9:16): No. And we started around the, my firm started around the same time as you. Yeah, because my, I was doing a full time job, document review miserable. But I was doing a full time job most of the time and then when I was getting pregnant with my daughter, my husband’s like, with me, you know, my husband and I had just gotten married and where he’s like, you know, let it go. I can support us and that was it. So, you know, so my baby and my law firm have, like, grown up, you know.
RACHEL ( 00:9:52): They’re both your babies. I know that feeling.
FRANCES ( 00:9:55): Exactly. And she’s eight and then I have a five year old also. I shouldn’t say eight. She will be nine in three days. Oh, yeah, it’s amazing how it’s like, it’s awesome. Like having the children and growing together, and the flexibility.
RACHEL ( 00:10:14): Oh yes. Pick them up at school and be there for activities on your own terms. But you can also do what you love. Which I think has been really awesome, you know.
FRANCES ( 00:10:22): Yeah, I was a little luckier because my hours were usually school hours. So that’s nice. You know, most of the time. But, so what makes you different? Like there’s so many, you know, tutoring companies, you know, Kumon and all the big name ones. Why would they choose you? What makes you special?
RACHEL ( 00:10:42): So, I like to think that I’ve become a lot more highly qualified for what I do now that I am a parent, to be honest because at first I didn’t realize why someone, especially in this area. I mean, people have multiple degrees, they’re brilliant. They are professional writers and mathematicians and engineers and, and I, you know, I’d always think, ok, well, why am I, you know, why do you, why are you hiring me to support your child when you’re fully capable? Now that I’m a parent I, it’s a very humbling experience and you realized pretty early on that, you know, if you’re mom or dad it’s 10 billion times harder. So I understand why people would hire one of my tutors because I think because they’re classroom teachers, they understand where students are and where they need to get them to go. I always get parents on the phone so I can learn everything I need to know about their child, the profile of the child. But also, you know, the idiosyncrasies that only a parent would know that is important to make the best connection with a tutor. And I, we call them academic coaches because it’s not just content specialists, they’re really their learning specialists or reading specialists or executive functioning specialists. They are considering the whole child. And we spend a lot of our energy helping the students organize and plan and time manage and also figure out you know how to build confidence. It’s something that I think my practice spends a lot of energy on and it’s a gut feeling. And I think as a teacher and as a parent, when I, when I hire someone, it’s, it’s just something that I like I know in my gut, this is gonna be, this is someone who’s a great teacher and they’re gonna be able to reach the students. And I think it’s really connection before content.I know a lot of tutor companies might say that, but I, I think that’s something that’s just like in my heart that, that, that the people I hire have that same sentiment and feeling.
FRANCES ( 00:12:30): I say the same thing. It’s like trust your gut, you know, especially, you know, especially parents. Something is not right. Something’s not right.
RACHEL ( 00:12:39): Exactly. Exactly. And I feel like that, that they just want someone who’s gonna help their child, of course, with the content or specific challenges that they’re having, but also figure out how to get that child to understand how their brain works and how they best learn and from there they can, you know, of course, become more independent and confident and that’s everything, you know, a parent wants for their child.
FRANCES ( 00:13:01): Right, so I was gonna go into that a little bit more the academic confidence. Like how do you help with that? It’s such a struggle. I know for me, I couldn’t spell, my daughter is struggling with spelling. Like how do you get them to the point that it’s ok?
RACHEL ( 00:13:16): So I would say that I have my PhD in anxiety.You know, I’ve, I’ve something I’ve studied my entire life, something I’ve lived with my entire life. So I, I feel like it’s, it can be a hindrance for confidence, right? It can get in the way of knowing your potential and your ability. And so I feel like what I do with my students and what I you can easily do not easily, but you can try with your child is to figure out you know, again how their brain works. Are they kinesthetic learners? Are they auditory learners? Are they visual learners? And that takes some, you know, kind of digging especially with the younger elementary, elementary school students. So I usually start with my students personalizing the situation because a lot of what I find with the students who are, who don’t have anxiety. I’m sorry, who don’t have confidence, they either have anxiety or they really struggle with the content area and they don’t want you to tell them how to do it, that just makes them feel inadequate. So instead I focus on taking it back to me. So, you know, when I get stuck, I don’t understand what I’m reading, this is what helps me and I try this and I, you know, I usually hate it when I can’t understand what the question is asking me. So I try to break it down word by word and I bring it back to myself and the depersonalization helps a lot. I think they hear, oh, well, she struggled too so that it’s ok that I’m struggling because, you know, she’s a teacher and she struggled and it kind of normalizes that. And then I think a lot of what I do to build confidence is to figure out what strategy is gonna work best for that child. So, you know, I think as parents, we were guilty of this sometimes we think, oh, well, in the nineties, we use flashcards. So we suggest that to our child, you know, and you know, it’s 2023 things have changed. There’s Quizlet, there’s a billion other things that they can use. And so it’s trying to understand what works best for your kids. So if, if they’re an extrovert maybe suggesting that they learn with a friend, right? And because that’s how they’re gonna remember and retain the information. A lot of it is, especially if the kid is anxious or struggles with testing anxiety is figuring out kind of like a scavenger hunt for an elementary school kid. You know what’s going to be on the test. Let’s look at the portal together. Let’s figure out, is it gonna be multiple choice? Is it gonna be short answer? Let’s look at the study guides because I bet we can figure out the content of the exam and that previewing and kind of prepping like you would do for a kid, you know, who has social anxiety or whatever it is, makes them feel more empowered. Like, ok, well, I know what’s gonna be on it. I’m ready. I’ve done this before. It’s kind of like a little pep talk. So it’s not just the skill building, it’s the figuring out the specific strategy that will make that child feel most successful and sometimes it’s giving them tools, you know, like telling them they can voice record if they’re staring at a blank screen. A lot of my students, I do that with them because they can dictate an entire essay to me. But they can’t get the, they can’t get the writing on paper. So I tell them, you know, to voice record and so it’s figuring out my child, what they need and then helping them build that skill. So again, it, of course, goes hand in hand with the confidence once they feel like they figured it out.
FRANCES ( 00:16:20): Right. Which is pretty much what we do with IEPs as well, you know, a combination, speech to text.
RACHEL ( 00:16:28): Exactly.
FRANCES ( 00:16:31): But yeah, but I think they’re getting, I think schools are getting a little bit better about speech to text because it’s more normal on everything and I think it’s open to almost everybody. That doesn’t mean, don’t put it on the IEP but it’s still there.
RACHEL ( 00:16:45): Yes. And I, I, as a classroom teacher, I feel like, you know, teachers, they, great teachers do it anyway. They provide modified patience for students that they need, you know, even if it’s not formally in an IEP. And then of course, there’s exceptions, you need to advocate for your kid and get it in writing. It needs to be in writing. But, but my point is that as a tutor, it’s, you know, you’re one on one with the students so you can easily figure out what that kid needs, you know, but I remember as a classroom teacher, I, I didn’t realize that you weren’t allowed to say that. You know, I would, I would say, you know, this kid really needs extended time and I, you kind of get your hand slapped a little bit like you’re not supposed to say what that kid needs. And I was, I was horrified. I thought, I was very stunned. I was, didn’t know now, I know. You know, but it’s really sad because I think that the teachers know what’s best for the kid, the parents know what’s best for the kids. So it really should be just allowed.
FRANCES ( 00:17:34): It’s frustrating, it’s frustrating when the team and that’s part of the reason that I left as well. And it’s not necessarily the principal or the, you know, it’s just the way the system is. You can’t always fight as much as you want for your, for the children as when you’re on the school side. And it’s hard and, you know, it’s interesting because my teaching background, which I’m sure like yours, I can help pull it out of teachers figuring out what they’re doing naturally. Because I say it all, you know, I know it all the time. Like the, like you said it, the good teachers, most teachers have those accommodations, they do that stuff, they do the frequent check ins. And so it’ll be something like, would you ever check in with them? How often? And that’s like when I ask them a direct question like that they answer and it’s ok. You know, and that’s how we get it on to the IEP, because next year we might not have that teacher, we might be at a different school.
RACHEL ( 00:18:35): Exactly. So, are you putting the kid at the front of the room? Are you regularly checking in? You know, does he need a little bit more time? Does he need the classroom notes? I mean, the, the teachers will be able to communicate but that, but the sad thing is they don’t always feel like they can, and I, and so with tutoring it’s just been nice, I think to see that, that you can create your own curriculum, that you can do whatever you want. There’s no, you know, you, because as an educator, you know what that kid needs and there’s no, there’s not as many limitations with testing it with someone telling you what’s right for that kid. But you have the educator intuition or the parent intuition to know. So, I think it’s a little bit more freeing that way.
FRANCES ( 00:19:13): Yeah, because I know, I mean, from what I know about the big tutoring companies, like you do the assessment and these are your weaknesses and now you’re gonna drill on those weaknesses and, you know, drill and skill that is, you know, skill and drill, whatever it was called, but way back, you know.
RACHEL ( 00:19:28): Yeah. No, No, I think that’s, I think that’s really why I’ve been successful is because I don’t micromanage. I, this is not my, it’s not my personality. And I also know that, like I said, teachers are some of the hardest working people out there. And so if they do this every day with, you know, 150 students, then they can do it with one. And so I don’t tell them how to teach or what to teach. I have very little requirements because they are experts in their content knowledge, but they’re also experts in their craft. And I do think teaching is a craft. I don’t think it’s just, I don’t think anyone can teach. You can be as smart as you can but if you can’t reach a kid that it really means nothing. So, that’s partly, I think why it’s, it’s worked out because they have the freedom to not only create their own schedule but also to just do it the way that they know is best for kids. So, I don’t, I don’t hand them a curriculum, though that curriculum was very helpful when I was 21. I just read it.
FRANCES ( 00:20:22): What am I doing tomorrow?
RACHEL ( 00:20:25): Exactly. This is how I remember. Oh, yeah.
FRANCES ( 00:20:27): Lesson plans, don’t forget page da da da.
RACHEL ( 00:20:30): Yeah. It was like 15 pages for a day of how to teach, what to teach, what to say when and you know, honestly, it was super helpful when I was 21 then I threw it away in, in a year or two. When you figure it out. But yeah, I think it’s nice to give teachers the flexibility to, to do what they know what they know how to do and what they’re meant to do.
FRANCES ( 00:20:51): So how does it work then? Because if you have so many tutors, do you screen all families that come in, to pick which tutor, like how does that work in your company?
RACHEL ( 00:21:01): So they reach out to me first and then I set up a call and I learn about the child, I learn about you know, their school history and their profile if they have an IEP for example, or 504. And it, what’s worked in the past, what hasn’t worked in the past? The, whether it’s like the parent, the kid has a physics exam and it’s just short term physics support that happens. But most of my clients are a long term relationship. So up to, you know, three or four years all through high school and foundational writing strategies or struggling with math or executive functioning organization. So whatever it is that their child needs, I get them on the phone and I then I can find the best match. So I consider of course the teacher’s bio and expertise, but also location because our tutors travel to the student’s home. So. Oh, yeah, they’re in person. I’d say three of them are remote because they’re getting their PhD at UVA and they have some clients, you know, but for the most part post-pandemic I find that parents are zoomed out. So, kids are zoomed out. Everyone’s zoomed out. So, yeah, exactly. So, they know. So the demand has mostly been in person and the tutors go to their home or a private location, like a public location, like a library or a coffee shop. But for the most part, it’s in home and it’s based on the expertise of the tutor and the profile of the student and what’s gonna be the best match. And I always tell parent, you know, if it’s not a good fit, let me know. You know, sometimes I, I really, that rarely happens but if it does, I want them to feel comfortable because again, this is gonna be a long term relationship and I want the kid to feel like this is the best match. And so there’s flexibility there.
FRANCES ( 00:22:47): Right. That is always the hardest thing with the best match because, you know, I have this like when I talk about placements in schools that the, you know, the school’s not meeting the child’s needs.I know the teacher brain in me goes, I am. Yes. I am, I’m doing that. You know what I mean? And that’s the thing, we know it’s not on the teacher. You are doing the best you can, we know that you are, but this child needs more and you physically can’t give more because you have 25 other students.
RACHEL ( 00:23:19): Exactly. I know and sometimes it’s having the honest conversation with yourself about it. Right. Like this is just not gonna work and it is not a personal thing. It’s not, it’s not necessarily the tutor’s fault either. Right. It’s not, it’s just not a good personality match. Right. They might have, right.
FRANCES ( 00:23:33): It’s just we all have that. You get along with coworkers, bosses, you know, whatever it is you get along with them, you don’t get along with them. Why do we force kids to get along with?
RACHEL ( 00:23:42): No. Yes. And I, I find that a lot of the, what’s important to me is the feedback to parents because, you know, as a parent, if I’m hiring a tutor to come to my home and work with my child, I want to know exactly what you’ve focused on the development areas where they’re excelling, you know, what’s coming up next week in terms of classroom, you know, content, but also just more so, how’s my kid doing? You know, are they responding well to tutoring? What are you finding? So there’s always like a detailed feedback after each session, whether that’s a conversation with a parent or a detailed email, I think that’s super important. So just a report.so we do that as, as protocol, so to speak. And then I think it just, it just means a, it’s, that’s the only like requirement I have for my tutors that you have to give it, you have to regularly communicate with the parents. You have to loop in the learning specialist or the teacher when possible. It just, there has to be a team to support the child, to make sure that they’re meeting their goals, whether it’s an IEP goal or just a personal goal.
FRANCES ( 00:24:42): You just like loop in. So do your tutors work like with the school staff?
RACHEL ( 00:24:48): Yes. Oftentimes they do. So, for example, the learning specialist at a private school will let the tutor know a little bit about the curriculum so that they can best design a, you know, lesson plan to individualize to that student, but also what they’re learning in school. So the learning specialist will communicate with the tutor and then oftentimes the tutor will communicate with the teacher. So they’re all on the same page.
FRANCES ( 00:25:12): That’s awesome. Yeah, because that’s, that’s always been the hardest thing. Occasionally there are parents that don’t want to connect the outside with the school for whatever reason. And it’s just, I don’t know why, like it just, it, to me that just, it blows my mind, you know, because you need the, you know, the continuity throughout the day. If you’re teaching one way and somebody else is teaching another way, you’re confusing the child and they’re never going to get it.
RACHEL ( 00:25:40): Exactly. And it’s also just a heads up, you know, if I’m, if the tutor is meeting with the child, they have this major essay coming up. They haven’t, she’s noticing that they haven’t read, they haven’t annotated. They, they’re really struggling with the content or they need help with writing strategies or syntax or it’s just a heads up to the tutor. This is what I should focus on and of course, the tutor can figure that out when they look at the kids draft or whatnot. But it is just to, to be on the same page about the development areas and to focus, you know, as a team. Although I, I understand when I was a teacher, I didn’t. So, again, it’s a humbling experience. You don’t, you learn a lot as you go. And I am on the other side like you are, you know, you are a special education teacher now you’re on the other side of the IEP table. So it’s a, it’s a different kind of adventure. But I think it’s, it’s, it gives you the whole picture in a sense that it’s nice. It’s valuable.
FRANCES ( 00:26:26): Yeah. It’s like what is the saying. I wish I was as good of a parent as I was before I had children. Exactly. It’s like a reality check I would do.
RACHEL ( 00:26:36): I would be amazing. But yes.
FRANCES ( 00:26:36): I, I remember, I remember tutoring for a family and, like you said, and, you know, there was a family that, that they were wealthy and, you know, I asked, I was like, why do you work? You know what I mean? Like, and she’s like to get out of here and then she’s also, she’s like, and I hate the tutoring and she goes, I hate the school stuff. So, outsource it. And I think that’s, you know, and that’s, that’s so important for business owners and parents. Yes. Outsource what you can. Yes.
RACHEL ( 00:27:04): Exactly. And honestly, there’s some guilt that is associated with it. I feel because, you know, I taught English for so many years and, and then my, I’m working with my five year old on reading and she’ll only work on her sight words with me while she’s jumping from the couch to the, to the mattress in the basement. And she’ll read it, like, in air and I’m like, ok, well, I guess this is how we’re doing it, you know. So, it’s, it’s where I thought forever that I would be an amazing English teacher for my daughter. But no, I’m, I’m an amazing English teacher for anyone but my daughter, and she’s wonderful but it’s, the struggle is real. And so I think, the guilt of, like you said, outsourcing has dissipated with each child, I add to my family but also with, you know, the growing my business and realizing that you just simply can’t do it all and you should do what you want to focus on if you have, if you can. And maybe, and maybe a teacher who’s not mom will be a better fit, you know, and that’s ok.
FRANCES ( 00:28:00): Yeah. And that’s, you know, I remember I babysat my nephew one time and I got him to eat green peas and his parents were like you did what? He ate them for me. You know, which of course, just like my kids will eat things for them that they wouldn’t even touch in my household. It just, it’s not mom. It’s not dad.
RACHEL ( 00:28:18): And that’s why I’m just so grateful the schools are open and running and, you know, when, when we were doing Zoom school and when we were, when we were trying to teach our, teach our children, it’s just, it’s a, it’s a real, it’s hard. We’re not meant to, to do everything. I think. So I’m just grateful for my, my kids’ kindergarten teacher and first grade teacher and they’re just phenomenal and I’ve seen so much growth and so I think, you know, as a, as a parent and as a tutor you, you see that, I just, I’ve never appreciated them more than I do now because I think it’s never been harder than it is now. Post pandemic world.
FRANCES ( 00:28:52): Yeah, it’s, and, and they’re well, and they’re switching up how they teach, which is not, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. The only thing that used to get me frustrated is that they taught to the children, you know, to the middle of the class like they have to do. But it, that style doesn’t work for some. And it’s oh well, I know it’s so frustrating that, you know, the kids need more and I guess that’s where you can come in to help the child that it’s ok that you don’t learn this way. This is the way your brain works and this is how we can help you get up your skills.
RACHEL ( 00:29:25): Exactly. Yes. And then, and also just understanding and empathizing with them, like, because I think kids need to hear more often that learning is hard. I don’t think we tell them that enough. I think we just, we kind of expect them to get there, especially now, you know, in MCPS we’ve just advanced everything, you know, kindergarten is the new first grade. You know, it’s just this whole, push them ahead, push them ahead, push them ahead and, and they need to know that. Oh, you know, I, I tell my kids all the time, math was super hard for me. I went to extra help all the time and I needed to do that to succeed and that was, that was what I needed to do for myself. And so giving them that understanding that it’s ok to struggle and that’s, and sit in that messy middle, even though it’s uncomfortable for everyone. It’s, it’s hard as a parent to see your kids struggle, and it’s hard for them to feel that way, but that’s how you learn and that’s how you get, you know, figure it out. So I think that I try to tell that to my students all the time that, you know, just either alleviate some of that feeling of inadequacy or lack of confidence and let them know that, that it’s ok.
FRANCES ( 00:30:28): Yeah, it’s, you know, I’m thinking back to the outsourcing and I remember it was the guilt, like, you know, like, no, you know, I can do it all. I’m a former teacher. Why can’t I do it all? And it’s just, but that’s not my zone. Right. That’s not where I’m good. And so, you know what, I’m going to hire the maids to clean every week because that’s not my area. I cannot do that, you know?
RACHEL ( 00:30:50): No, I can’t. No. And I’ve had, I mean, professional writers who are published and like, Head of the Washington Post and I’m sitting there working with their kid on a college essay and it’s just they’re mom and it’s, that’s ok, you know, they could, they could easily help, but not really because there’s gonna be fighting and there’s gonna be tension and there’s gonna be difficulty. And so I, I just think that it’s giving yourself some grace and understanding. Yes, you could do it. But maybe, maybe that’s not your best and highest use at this moment just because, you don’t want there to be, there’s going to be conflict. And so that, I think that what, that’s what we like a pain point that I am, that my company needs for parents, that we can alleviate that, take something off their plate and they know that their kid’s still getting an amazing education and the personal attention that they need, but it just doesn’t have to lead to kind of the battles that exist.
FRANCES ( 00:31:40): So, and that’s the biggest one I have often. You know, it takes us two hours to do homework and the teacher’s like it shouldn’t take that long.
RACHEL ( 00:31:49): I had to get my kid to sit and I had to get them to take out their book and, you know, it’s a whole process.
FRANCES ( 00:31:53): And, you know, every problem they got a five minute break and it was a struggle. Exactly. Which you know thinking about it. Like the child’s not learning in that environment, not when the child’s already struggling, right. Their mindset is, is not available for learning.
RACHEL ( 00:32:9): No. And that’s why I always tell parents that sometimes, you know, when I, when I meet with a student, I can tell that this is just not, they’re not in that zone that, that learning is not gonna happen until I figure out what’s going on with them. And that’s why I feel like, I mean, there is like an academic crisis but more, more significantly I’m finding there’s a mental health crisis and kids are just, especially, you know, 2020, 2021. I think we’re slowly digging our way out of it. But oftentimes I would just sit with the kid and just figure out what’s going on and try to work through that a bit before we get to the content because, you know, you can’t learn if you’re not in a place to wrap your head around any sort of content because you’re sitting with whatever it is that’s going on in your mind. So I think a lot of that is like the relationship that you develop with a kid can unpack that in a way that’s important for their academic success and growth and confidence. So,yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s hard, it’s hard sometimes to be a student these days because there’s just so much piled up and, and the activities that they’re involved in and they don’t have a chance to breathe. So sometimes it’s like get up, take a wiggle break, we’ll, we’ll meet when you’re, you know, in a better space.
FRANCES ( 00:33:15): Yeah, I was just thinking about that, that you know, some kids, like when I get IEPs in place, a lot of times children will say like, you know, I don’t need that. I’m not special ed, and I’m sure some of your students are saying I don’t need tutoring, you know, which kind of connected in my brain is now connecting to us as parents outsourcing. Oh, yes, because we’re now teaching our children, we don’t have to do everything and it’s ok to get extra help.
RACHEL ( 00:33:43): Absolutely. And I think that’s really important and it’s also like with the right tutor, they’re not gonna, they’re, they’re still doing all the work, right. They’re still figuring it out on their own, their, their support system, really an accountability partner. And that’s another thing that I think makes our tutors really helpful is they’ll check in with the students, you know, at the beginning or the end of the week. Oftentimes, like, shoot them a text or an email and say, like, how’s that paper going? You know? So, it’s like, and it’s, it, they’re not gonna get the backlash that they might get from a, from a parent, you know, so I feel like that accountability and that connection is really important.
FRANCES ( 00:34:19): Yeah, definitely. And it’s, you know, the parent, we can’t do it all.
RACHEL ( 00:34:24): You’re absolutely right. And that’s, and that’s ok and, and that’s where the support, you know, that just like a therapist or a, a tutor or a health and wellness coach. I mean it’s, there’s a team of people out there that’s the reason why these professions exist because, you know, we need support. It’s just like the human experience. So it’s ok.
FRANCES ( 00:34:44): That’s ok. And then there was one other question I was thinking about, because you said physics exam and I’m like, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. I’m assuming you have tutors that specialize in certain things. And if you don’t have one that has that skill, you’ll either go find it or tell the parents. Right.
RACHEL ( 00:35:03): Yeah. No, absolutely. So if they, so they’ll say my kid has an AP physics exam, do you have someone qualified? And I do or, you know, BC Calc, I’d say the most popular request is Math and English. But we definitely have specialized teachers and I’ve grown the learning specialists part of my team. So those who are experienced executive functioning coaches because that’s also in super high demand, especially these days.you know, with organizational deficits and focused, it’s just like the need for, for someone to help you figure it out, how to plan and how to, and how to get the assignments done in a timely fashion, what to prioritize. And so,in that way, that’s, I feel like more than just a content specialist who can help with the math test is someone who can help the child figure out how to plan out all academic subjects, right? So even if they’re not, like you said, a physics professor or teacher, they can help the child figure out how to study for that exam. Right. So, and I think, yeah, so I feel like the content, honestly, I’ve, I’ve helped students study for physics exams and I don’t understand anything about the content but it’s, but what I do understand is how to learn and how to, and how to study. And so I, I’ll often put the kid in the hot seat and ask them to teach me the content and they will get, I can immediately see them like stand up straight or, or, or if they don’t know the answer, then I’ll ask them to show me the teacher’s notes to show me the answer key. How did the teacher get to that answer? And then they’ll have to figure out how to problem solve and how to, and how to explain it. And I feel like, you know, there’s a cliche that like you don’t learn anything until you can teach it right? Or you don’t know anything. I have learned that with tutoring that I, it doesn’t, it’s not as much as content as it is. Like I said, it’s a craft, right? It can, you teach kids how to learn and how their brain works and how, and how they, that there are particular strategies that they need to be successful and it can, you reach them that way and that’s everything. And so even if you’re not a content specialist, though I never would set up an English teacher with, you know, a physics student forever. Never. But still there’s the learning strategies that like an executive functioning or learning specialist will be able to help a student with. And I think that’s, that’s important because it’s, it’s how they learn.
FRANCES ( 00:37:17): Right? It makes so much sense and it’s also the confidence like walking into the exam saying I’ve got this. Yeah. Versus the, I don’t know. Am I gonna fail? Am I gonna pass? You know, like it’s just where your mind is at that beginning is huge.
RACHEL ( 00:37:31): Yes. And, and figuring out what’s gonna be on the test, right? Like helping the kid, you know, if your teacher posted all these slides and she’s telling you to study, this is something the kids often don’t, they just don’t necessarily know that’s important when the teacher is telling them like, study this. Like it’s, you know, it sounds silly but you just like telling them, ok, well, it seems like the hints that the teacher is giving you about the content of the exam is gonna be x, y and z from what she’s posted on her classroom. So maybe we start there and then they walk in knowing, ok. Well, I’ve got this, I’ve studied everything she’s told me. I know it. I’ve rehearsed it and the key is though, have they rehearsed it in the way that it’s gonna stick? So, have they said it out loud or are they standing in the mirror, you know, talking to themselves or are they working with friends? Like it’s, you need each child? So, I think it’s important to figure that out.
FRANCES ( 00:38:19): I feel like we could talk all day. It’s like we’re so, we’re so in the same area of just, you know, it’s about the kids and you don’t need to do it all alone, you know, and that’s the whole thing. And that’s, you know what I tell potential clients and parents, you know? Well, you know, can I do an IEP meeting on my own? 100%. But why?
RACHEL ( 00:38:40): Right.
FRANCES ( 00:38:40): The school has nine people, you know, bring an advocate, bring an attorney or just talk to one of us, you know, I do strategy sessions and so I tell parents just set an hour meeting with me. I can prep you and tell you what to expect and get you in the right mindset and give you some, you know, some basic terminology to use to get where you want to be. You don’t have to hire me to come to everything. You know.
RACHEL ( 00:39:07): It’s important because I feel like my friend the other day was like, I wish they just said what they wanted to say in the IEP meeting, you know, and it’s, that’s, it’s so real because she’s like, can you just say what you’re thinking? And instead of, you know, and they all laugh. But it’s true. It’s the idea that they don’t, teachers don’t feel like they can say what’s on their mind and that’s why they need you to, to tell them to get what they need written down. Even though like we said, the teachers are probably doing the accommodation, great teachers are doing accommodations and modifications anyway. I want this in writing for my kids and he’s gonna move on, right? And that needs to move on with him, that document. So.
FRANCES ( 00:39:41): Exactly. All right. Well, thank you so much for being on my show.
RACHEL ( 00:39:47): Thank you so much for having me. I loved it.
VOICEOVER ( 00:42:48): You’ve been listening to Stress-Free IEPTM. With your host Frances Shefter. Remember you do not need to do it all alone. You can reach Frances through ShefterLaw.com where prior episodes are also posted. Thank you for your positive reviews, comments and sharing the show with others through YouTube, LinkedIn, Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and more.
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