Kathleen Shepherd

 
 

Meet Kathleen Shepherd - Expert Early Elementary, Literacy & ESL Tutor

Kathleen Shepherd is a highly accomplished educator with a Master of Education in Learning, Diversity, and Urban Studies from Vanderbilt University (4.0 GPA). Based in Arlington, VA, Kathleen brings over 5 years of professional teaching experience and holds a Virginia Postgraduate Professional License for Elementary Education (PreK-6) and an Endorsement for English as a Second Language (PreK-12). Passionate about early literacy and student-centered learning, Kathleen excels at pinpointing foundational gaps and building the confidence young learners need to succeed.

Areas Of Expertise:

  • Early Childhood & Elementary Education: Certified to teach PreK-6, with specialized expertise and extensive hands-on experience teaching 1st and 2nd grade.

  • Foundational Literacy & Phonics: Passionate about teaching phonics and language skills to beginning readers. She is highly experienced in utilizing structured, evidence-based phonics curriculums—including Really Great Reading, Fundations, Heggerty, and Wilson—to build strong reading, spelling, and comprehension skills.

  • English as a Second Language (ESL): Holds a PreK-12 ESL Endorsement and boasts extensive experience supporting multilingual learners in diverse educational settings, including sheltered English Learner classrooms and dual-language environments.

  • Elementary Math, Science & Social Studies: Confident and experienced in providing comprehensive tutoring across all core early elementary subjects, including math, science, and social studies.

  • Grade Levels: Specializes in early childhood education, explicitly comfortable tutoring students in Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades, with experience tutoring students up through 5th grade.

Teaching Philosophy:

"I keep my instruction student centered and always start with what students know. I utilize pre-assessments to ensure I am targeting specific areas of need during instruction, so as to not overcomplicate or overwhelm the student. If the student is struggling with a concept, I pinpoint specific target areas to determine what underlying foundational skills the student might need to build on in order to help them grasp the new concept. I encourage confidence in students and include fun games and activities to make instruction engaging and fun, while focusing on specific student needs to maximize instructional time. I also tie instruction to student interests to keep it engaging and exciting for them. For example, if the student loves soccer and is struggling with word problems, we can practice using word problems about soccer. I also make sure students have opportunities to feel agency and ownership over their own learning experience. This builds confidence and encourages students to be more actively engaged in their learning."

What Makes Kathleen Special:

  • Experienced Early Elementary Educator: Has spent over four years as a dedicated 1st and 2nd-grade classroom teacher. At Metro Nashville Public Schools, she served as the solo teacher for a sheltered English Learner classroom of 20 multilingual students. Most recently, she served as a 2nd Grade Inclusion Teacher for Alexandria City Public Schools, where she collaborated on IEP development and differentiated literacy instruction based on the Science of Reading.

  • Literacy Program Leader & Grant Winner: Secured a $10,000 grant and served as Program Manager for the Nashville Public Education Foundation, where she designed and led a school-based multilingual family literacy initiative serving 150 families. She also won First Place in the 2024 NPEF Teacherpreneur competition.

  • Curriculum Development & Tutor Coordination: Served as a Strategic Initiatives Fellow & Tutor Coordinator for the Accelerating Scholars Program, where she developed literacy curriculum and trained/supervised undergraduate volunteer tutors across multiple school sites.

  • Dedicated Community Advocate: Interned with the Homeless Education Resource Office to coordinate educational programs and expand literacy access for students experiencing homelessness.

Education & Achievements:

  • M.Ed. in Learning, Diversity, & Urban Studies, Vanderbilt University (4.0 GPA).

  • B.A. in Elementary Education (Minor: Urban Education), Loyola University Maryland (Summa Cum Laude).

  • Licensure: Virginia Postgraduate Professional License (Elementary Education PreK-6); English as a Second Language Endorsement (PreK-12).

  • Awards: NPEF Teacherpreneur First Place Winner (2024).

John SisonMagellan Tutoring