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Philosophy

I have nearly 15 years of experience in the education industry, and over 12 years of experience teaching online. My passions for math, reading, and foreign languages allow me to connect with a wide variety of students, especially middle and high school girls, high achieving students, athletes, and international students. My approachable nature and teaching style builds trust with my students, and they are reassured from the first session that they can always reach out to me with questions at any time. I have worked with students all across the country and the world, helping them gain acceptances to schools such as Harvard, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Duke, UCLA, Boston University, University of Michigan, University of Miami, West Point, and more.
   
I believe that there is not a one size fits all approach for learning new concepts.  Many of us learn in ways that are not always compatible with the standard classroom model, which can lead to frustration and a disconnect at school.  In my sessions, I take a holistic mentorship-based method.  I get to know each of my students, the classes they are taking, their interests inside and outside of school, and their specific goals to design an individualized learning plan.  While we may be focused on only one or two topics, I consider my work with students to be much broader than those specific subjects. Learning about each student and their life allows me to adapt my teaching style based on methods and examples that will resonate the strongest based on a student's lived experience and learning style.

My Story

I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2011 with a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature, and minors in Applied Statistics and International Studies.  During my time at U of M, I sang in the Women's Glee Club and also spent a semester abroad in Granada, Spain. 
 

My time abroad fueled my passion for travel and exploration.  When I started teaching online in 2013, I was able not only to weave my travel experiences into my lessons, but also to teach while I visited new places.


I have taught SAT bootcamps with JCT4Education in Medellín, Colombia, and Fiji, and have virtually brought students with me internationally while traveling to Mexico, the UK, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, as well as many domestic US cities.

In 2016, I moved to Nashville to pursue my Master's Degree in Education at Vanderbilt University so I could root my teaching in research-based pedagogy. In May 2018, I graduated with a M.Ed. in Learning and Design, and still currently reside in Nashville. 


As the Owner of Learn with Falina, I also consult as a Lead Learning Experience Designer in the EdTech industry.  I enjoy spending time with my husband and our pets, traveling to visit friends and family in Michigan, as well as reading, writing, and doing puzzles & crosswords.

Learning Theories

I ground my pedagogy in research-based learning theories. Below is a list of researchers' work that I ascribe to.
 
  • González, N., Moll, L. C., & Amanti, C. (Eds.). (2006). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. Routledge.
  • Quintana, C., Krajcik, J., Soloway, E., Fishman, L. C. D. I. B., & O'Connor-Divelbiss, S. (2013, April). Exploring a structured definition for learner-centered design. In Fourth international conference of the learning sciences (pp. 256-263).
  • Delpit, L. (1988). The silenced dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people's children. Harvard educational review, 58(3), 280-299.
  • Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: aka the remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74-84.