A former special education teacher has turned his passion for teaching into a business to help students adjust to an abnormal school year.
In August, Matthew Miller told 41 Action News he was starting a tutoring business called Educate Me Enterprises: School of Exceptional Education.
Since then, Miller has gone all in on the business, adding more co-educators and gaining student clients along the way.
Miller's business offers virtual or in-person tutoring. He said the majority of families are choosing in-person because of zoom fatigue.
"That lack of interpersonal is really bothering a lot of the students," Miller said, " and many of the younger students are having trouble articulating that they're not OK."
One of his students, Olive Giardini, is a fourth grader who is taking all of her classes virtually. Giardini said it can be tough to stay focused while staring at a screen all day. She looks forward to the sessions working with Miller.
"I never really liked math, but when he teaches math it makes it much more fun and I can focus better," Giardini said.
Miller said that because of community support he has grown his business and added more co-educators, like retired teacher JoAnn Rocha.
"Online is not for everyone," Rocha said. "You know you have that instruction, but you don't really have that one-on-one teacher walking around checking and making sure they understand."
The pandemic pod, as Miller calls it, also will start field trips. The first one is coming up this weekend at the Waldo Greenhouse.
"It's almost as if we've formed our own little community, and it's just very rewarding," Miller said.
