About Me
Aloha! My name is Karen Gibson and I want to help your child excel in their academic journey.
My experience as a special education teacher at a behavioral health hospital, and additionally working with emotionally impaired students at a public elementary and high school inspired me to create my private tutoring business, Brain Builders, in 1999. I’ve been able to provide students with supplemental educational services along with skills that aren’t taught in the classroom.
I’ve combined my experience as a certified special education teacher and as a marketing director to create a nurturing, creative educational environment for children.
Helping your child excel during distance learning is my mission.
Times are challenging, but distance learning doesn’t have to be.
The challenges of distance learning during the global pandemic has many parents panicking that their children will fall behind. Distance learning may seem tortuous, boring and ineffective. However, one-on-one private tutoring provides students with an opportunity to learn in a safe, judgment-free environment where students discover that learning doesn’t have to be boring. Students don’t feel so alone since Brain Builders provides them with a private tutor who becomes their personal cheerleader as well as an academic trainer. They can lean on someone to make difficult subjects manageable and receive extra practice until they master the material, and celebrate their successes.
One-on-one virtual tutoring has been extremely successful since it allows students:
*personal attention skills
*learn tricks and tips to prepare for assessments
*speed reading
*memory skills
*time management + organizational skills
*self-development: how to gain self-confidence and self-love during these fragile and challenging years
It’s all about taking a new approach.
I believe that all students possess the potential to comprehend and exceed beyond their parents’ expectations. All it takes is for them to learn how to use their primary learning style, and incorporate methods that may not be used in the classroom. Discovering what motivates a child to learn can lead to incredible academic success.
Many children are creative and bright learners. However, they were never taught the basic skills on how to train their brain to succeed in school. Learning does not have to be a difficult and frustrating experience. It can be a fun and motivating experience that leads to a sense of accomplishment which ultimately boosts one's self-esteem. Success is more than just getting high grades. It involves learning how to overcome challenges and create opportunities for achieving goals.
Why should you choose Brain Builders?
Karen's marketing background brings a special touch to the traditional ways of teaching. Children need to learn how to discover their individualized learning style and utilize it in order to achieve academic success. Are they auditory learners? Visual? Kinetic? Are they combination learners? Many teachers use learning styles based on what works for them rather than what works for their students. She also incorporates Brain Gym exercises in order to promote whole brain learning. Most people use the dominant side of their brain (either left or right) which inhibits their intellectual potential.
Many teachers have never experienced life outside of the classroom. Karen's diverse experiences in the business world as a marketing director for the Hawaii State Bar Association, customer service representative for GTE Hawaiian Tel and account coordinator for a major advertising agency help her create a learning environment that goes beyond the classroom. People learn more when they can relate academic work to real life experiences.
Brain Builders targets students age 5 thru 14. Private tutoring benefits anyone who is willing to receive assistance. With over 27 years of teaching experience, Brain Builders provides more than supplemental education. It provides students with the opportunity to "train their brain" and make the most of their academic potential.