Keith

Keith has loved teaching since he was a teenage tennis player, coaching for the City of Prince George recreation program. After working as a stagehand for the CBC television studios in Vancouver, he decided to return to his love of learning and became a full-time teacher. The five-year degree program at the University of Victoria helped him realize his dream.

After teaching in the Yukon for two years, Keith moved back to Metro Vancouver to teach elementary school. As much as he enjoyed teaching in the Yukon, he longed for more opportunities to indulge in his passions of kayaking, tennis, golf, and curling. Keith brings the same passion for the outdoors and sports into his teaching, and he strives to help his students incorporate their passions into their work as well. (See the litmus strip in the Twisted Process.) He loves the moment when a student ‘gets’ a concept, makes a breakthrough, describes a special book, or expresses themselves artistically.

Using many innovative teaching tools, Keith works at engaging students and helping them find their passions. (See the litmus strip in the Twisted Process.) He believes that creativity and problem solving are critical parts of a child’s learning and personal development. When he worked as a teacher, Keith’s students engaged with experiential “Creativity Stations” which provided hands-on activities with materials such as blocks, clay, magnets, etc. to encourage students to think outside the box and work as a team. (See the circles in the Twisted Process.) He was also chosen to be the gifted-school teacher, which gave him plenty of experience working with students of all abilities. Keith’s wide skill set allows him to help his students hit their targets while reaching for the stars, no matter what those targets look like. (See the stars and the target in the Twisted Process.)

While still teaching in the classroom, Keith started a garden project that the whole school participated in! He introduced his students to testing the growth of tomato seeds for an upcoming mission to Mars. He also brought this project to our Tutoring agency. Let us know if your child would want to participate!

Keith worked with learners deemed as having special needs through being an SEA (Special Education Assistant), as well as in his role as a teacher. As an SEA he was paired with a grade five boy who was had a dignosis of ADHD and autism. Then, as Keith went from an SEA role to a teacher role, he then had this same boy in his grade six classroom!

Keith is also our resident Orton-Gillingham expert. The Orton-Gillingham approach is a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive way to teach literacy when reading, writing, and spelling does not come easily to individuals, such as those with dyslexia. It is most properly understood and practiced as an approach and it is a powerful tool of exceptional breadth, depth, and flexibility. Stucture is a key part of this approach!

Keith believes that reading and writing are cornerstones in anyone’s life, and he works to refine those critical skills in his students by appealing to their learning styles. Keith engages his students with picture prompts, ‘Would you Rather’ statements, and free writing. Keith uses his innovative and creative approaches to enhance student learning in all classes, including Math, Social Studies, and Science, as well as to transition from elementary to high school. Over his time with us, he’s also been a key player for homeschooled children! 

ps: You can also catch Keith on our YouTube channel reading Big Nate!

Learning Style Scores
Visual: 5
Auditory: 6
Kinesthetic: 9

Favourite Movies:
The Matrix, Saving Private Ryan

Favourite Book Series:
Jack Reacher Series

Keith specializes in Twistedly Tutoring in the following areas:

• Math: Grades 1-9
• English: Grades 1-12
• Social Studies: Grades K-12
• Science: Grades 1-9
• Home Schoolers: All Ages!