Fiona Koehler

Education has been my passion since I was a little girl, and no matter where my life has taken me, I have always ended back up in this field. The joy of watching a student achieve an “ah-ha” moment is second to none!

I was born and raised in Southern California, and I have lived here my entire life. My college experience has been varied, but has always led me back to education in some way. From my AA in Sign Language Interpreting, to my B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Pacific Oaks College, and finally my master’s in Organizational Leadership from Los Angeles Pacific University, my experiences have all shaped who I am as an educator. Throughout my educational journey, the classes that have stuck with me the most were the ones my instructors made come alive. There is nothing more engaging as a student than a teacher who goes above and beyond to tie these topics into our everyday lives and experiences. This methodology has allowed me to successfully tutor students from preK-12th grade because I have learned to build that connection to their everyday lives through the material.

Ever since I was four or five years old, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. From learning how to read at 4 years old, to holding my own classes and teaching my siblings to do the same, I was naturally drawn to teaching. In second grade I met a teacher who changed my life and introduced me to literature and the art of reading and analyzing plays. She gave up her weekends looking for garage sale treasures and keeping me well-read. Her passion for her students, and the way she made art and literature come alive, has left an imprint on my mind and further encouraged me to stay in this field.

My first formal experience in the world of education was working as an aide in a special education preschool when I was 20 years old. However, I had informally been involved in education for years prior helping the children I nannied and my younger siblings with homework. From that preschool classroom I moved into the world of high school, acting as a push-in aide to general education classrooms for students with learning disabilities to rely on. I taught them how to take notes, maintain an agenda, assisted with class work, and helped them with homework. After my time with the school districts in Lake Elsinore, CA, I moved into the world of tutoring as an employee of a tutoring franchise. In less than six months I had been promoted from the floor of the tutoring center to an office of my own as their Director of Education.

In my free time, I love to bake, play with my rescue puppy, and spend time with my mom and siblings, whether that is playing a board game or taking a hike!