Hi There! I'm Julie Colleen.
I am so happy to meet you!
I am the founder of The Learning Lab: McKenzie Anderson Education. The Learning Lab reflects my educational beliefs and is built upon my knowledge and experiences as a parent and educator.
I BELIEVE:
ALL children are capable of GREATNESS and have UNLIMITED POTENTIAL! This is realized by providing high-quality, individualized instruction by dedicated, supportive and qualified teachers.
Children are UNIQUE! They have different needs and interests. A one-size-fits-all education doesn’t work.
I UNDERSTAND: As a mother of four, I understand how difficult education can be for children. My four children had completely different educational experiences.
*My eldest son was a special education student, so I dealt with ALL of challenges that go along with the label and the perception. Some teachers some would coddle, some would push too hard and some wouldn't do anything
*For son number two, everything was a breeze...he was reading and writing at the age of three. Math was a piece of cake! However, the easy road ended when he hit middle school and started asking why. Why did he need to do homework and projects if he was getting A's on all the tests? The battle began. He was not being challenged. He was BORED!!
*My third child was and still is a great student. She always studied hard and took conspicuous notes, but she struggled at an early age with reading. In lower elementary everything took longer for her to grasp. Towards the end of each school year it all clicked, and then a new school year...and she was behind again. While she succeeded in the later years and graduated from the IB Diploma Programme, concepts took longer for her to grasp requiring long hours of study and outside assistance.
*And my baby, who is not a baby anymore [just turned 20 😲], was a "typical" student. Sometimes she loved school, other times she hated it. If she liked a class or teacher, she did very well, other times not so much. She was a challenge in her own way!
I'm an EDUCATOR and my children had tutors!
BOTTOM LINE: I know how different each child is when it comes to education. I also completely understand how HARD it is to teach or work with your OWN child.
And, to complicate things even more, these last two+ years have greatly impacted the education of our children.
We are here to help you and your child!
My Education & Experience: I received my Bachelor of Science degree and Elementary School [K-8] Certification from Eastern Michigan University in 1999. I earned a Master of Public Administration degree with a focus on Educational Leadership [K-12] from the University of Michigan in 2011. I’m certified to teach in Maryland, grades K-6 with an endorsement in reading. I'm also certified in Michigan for grades K-8 with an endorsement in science.
I am a certified K-12 school administrator in both Maryland and Michigan.
During my 20+ years as an educator, I have been fortunate to serve in a variety of roles. I have been a teacher, academic & assistant principal, reading specialist, curriculum writer, education consultant and a manager of curriculum development at the government level.
On a Personal Note: I love traveling and experiencing new places and cultures. I have traveled to several countries around the world. I have lived in Belize, Costa Rica, and the United Arab Emirates [Abu Dhabi/Dubai].
