Rucha Somalwar

 
 

Meet Rucha Somalwar – Elementary Math, English, Science & Early Childhood Tutor

Rucha Somalwar is a passionate future educator currently pursuing her B.S. in Elementary Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), where she maintains an outstanding 3.94 GPA. Based in South Riding, VA, Rucha brings valuable classroom and small-group instruction experience to her tutoring sessions. She specializes in foundational elementary subjects—particularly Math, English, and Science—and is highly skilled at creating engaging, hands-on learning environments for young students ranging from Preschool through 5th grade.

 Areas Of Expertise:

  • Elementary Mathematics: Confident in teaching elementary-level math. She has specialized university training in Curriculum and Instruction in Elementary Math for grades PreK-3 and has passed the Mathematics subtest of the Praxis exam.

  • English & Reading Instruction: Experienced in tutoring elementary English. She has completed relevant coursework in the Foundation of Reading Instruction and passed the Reading and Writing subtests of the Praxis exam.

  • Elementary Science: Confident in tutoring elementary science concepts, supported by her coursework in Elementary Methods in Science and her passing score on the Praxis Science subtest.

  • Elementary Social Studies: Qualified to teach foundational social studies, backed by her university coursework in Elementary Social Studies Teaching Methods and her passing score on the Praxis Social Studies subtest.

  • Early Childhood Development: Extensive experience working with toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-5), developing age-appropriate lesson plans and utilizing whole-class instruction.

  • Bilingual Support: Fluent in English and conversationally proficient in both Hindi and Marathi.

  • Grade Levels: Highly comfortable teaching Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades.

Teaching Philosophy

"I believe that students learn best when they can see and touch what they are learning. For younger students, I utilize a hands-on approach with manipulatives to provide a visual representation of complex concepts. When a student is struggling, I have them retrace their steps from the very beginning to identify exactly where a gap in prior knowledge exists. I prioritize building confidence through positive reinforcement and small praises, reminding my students that making mistakes is a vital part of the learning process”.

What Makes Rucha Special:

  • Certified Knowledge Base: She has officially passed the Praxis Multiple Subjects (5001) exam, demonstrating proven competency in Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science instruction .

  • In-Classroom Experience: Served as a Teacher Cadet and Student Teacher in a first-grade classroom, gaining over 40 hours of hands-on experience by teaching mini-lessons to small groups, participating in lesson planning, and assisting an experienced main teacher .

  • Differentiated Instruction: Experienced in adapting to diverse learning speeds. She provides helpful strategies for struggling learners and offers more challenging work to advanced students .

  • Experienced Youth Mentor: Worked as an Officer and Tutor for a student education club, where she tutored groups of 5-7 elementary students weekly and managed fellow tutors . She also served as a Preschool Summer Camp Teacher, developing themed academic lesson plans for toddlers.

  • Leadership & Organization: Manages rehearsals, finances, and logistics for a competitive collegiate dance team of 16-20 dancers, demonstrating strong organizational and problem-solving skills under pressure .

  • Future Educator Honors: She is an active member of Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society for future educators, where she participates in professional workshops focused on effective teaching strategies and classroom management.

  • Versatile Instructor: Rucha has experience working with both struggling and advanced students, offering remedial strategies or more challenging coursework as needed to ensure every child grows.

Education & Achievements

  • Intended B.S. in Elementary Education, Virginia Tech (GPA: 3.94/4.0).

  • Member, Kappa Delta Pi (Honor Society for Future Educators).

  • Member, Student Virginia Education Association (SVEA).

  • Passed Subtests: Praxis Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science.

John SisonMagellan Tutoring