PRAISE AND RECOGNITION

Alta Wehmeyer is widely praised for her exceptional teaching skills in English, writing, grammar, and music, particularly through her use of the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) methodology. Parents and students highlight her ability to create a stress-free, encouraging, and engaging learning environment that fosters critical thinking, confidence, and skill development. Her holistic approach integrates diverse subjects like geography, biology, history, and culture into her lessons, making them both educational and captivating. Reviewers note her patience, professionalism, and talent, with one parent crediting her with helping their son overcome a preliminary dyslexia diagnosis through tailored, bite-sized lessons that build success over time.

Students appreciate how Alta transforms their writing abilities, with one stating she took them "from ground zero" to writing complex essays independently over four years. Parents value her rigorous yet enjoyable methods, which prepare students for advanced academic challenges, such as college-level writing, while maintaining a fun and lighthearted atmosphere. Her compassion and genuine care for her students’ well-being also stand out, with families expressing gratitude for her personal investment in their children’s growth. Alta’s consistency, reliability, and ability to deliver real feedback further enhance her reputation as an outstanding, highly recommended educator for long-term and semester-based learning.

Overall, Alta is celebrated as a transformative teacher who blends expertise, empathy, and a passion for lifelong learning, earning her glowing endorsements from both students and parents.

VALUE STACKED TUITORING

Time Tested Techniques

Alta’s Classes are stacked with time proven techniques grounded in:

• Classical Rhetoric
• Grammar
• Logic
• Latin and Greek root word study
• Building solid grammar skills
• Creative storytelling
• Study techniques
• Curiousity cultivation
• Instilling a disciplined love for lifelong learning

Special short courses are offered to unlock those who feel stuck!

AN EXAMPLE

Grammar Validation

The grammar in the phrase "Instilling a disciplined love for lifelong learning" is correct. Here's a breakdown:

• Instilling: Present participle, used appropriately as the verb to indicate an ongoing action of introducing or establishing something.
• a: Article, correctly placed before the noun phrase.
• disciplined: Adjective, modifying "love" to suggest a structured or controlled kind of love.
• love: Noun, serving as the object of "instilling," indicating what is being instilled.
• for: Preposition, linking "love" to "lifelong learning" and showing the focus or target of that love.
• lifelong: Adjective, modifying "learning" to indicate its duration or nature.
• learning: Noun, completing the prepositional phrase "for lifelong learning."

Professional

Curriculum Vitae

Alta is an entrepreneur who homeschooled her lively children with excellent results, leading them to achieve tertiary education. Drawing on her twenty years of experience, she continues to assist many other homeschooling families, as well as those in public and private schools. She possesses exceptional talents in teaching students of all levels to excel in music, writing, critical thinking, and social skills, while nurturing their love for learning and inspiring them to succeed.

• Bachelor’s degree in Music
• IEW Certified-level Instructor
• Lost Tools of Writing - Levels 1, 2, and 3
• National Geographic Educator
• Iditarod Certified Educator
• TEFL/TESOL Level 5 Instructor
• Seattle Pacific University, Postgraduate Credits, Dyslexia for Teachers
• ACTFL English Speaking and Writing Certificates

UNISA

Bachelor’s degree in Music

With a specialization in African Music Composition and Musicology I earned this four year degree amidst teaching my children and relocating several times.  I enhanced my knowledge by extending this degree beyond music with the following tertiary level studies:

• English for Academic Purposes
• Foundations of English Literary Studies
• Information Skills for the 21st Century
• Developing Information Skills for Lifelong Learning
• Psychology of Human Development
• Human Development: Child and Adolescent Development
• Human Development: Adulthood to Maturity
• Personality Theories
• Critical Reasoning
• African Archaeology I & II
• Archaeological Fieldwork techniques and analytical methods

INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE IN WRITING

IEW Certified-level Instructor

I am a Certified-level IEW Instructor who used this methodology at university while completing a degree in music. The fitness and practical skills I gained through applying it to prime production set me apart from many accredited teachers. My family has successfully used the IEW writing curriculum since 2008. After my own children departed for university, I have taught countless students worldwide, with two of them choosing to become IEW teachers themselves.

Since the early 2000s, I have authored several curricula that work well with this methodology but are best suited for a Writing-Across-The-Curriculum approach.

LOST TOOLS OF WRITING

Completed Training Levels 1, 2, and 3

Available from the Circe Institute, Lost Tools of Writing enhances classical rhetoric skills and teaches the art of persuasive writing. Its three levels guide students to mastery in crafting cohesive, rock-solid paragraphs. For parents and students in Classical Conversations, particularly those in Challenge I, this curriculum builds on the foundational skills established by IEW in earlier years, surpassing the lower-level programs.

After meeting Andrew Kern at an FPEA conference, I pursued and completed the teacher training for Lost Tools of Writing. While I have a strong interest in classical rhetoric, mimetic teaching, and critical thinking, I chose alternative paths to achieve my goals instead of completing their Apprenticeship program. I have successfully mentored discerning students through this curriculum and incorporate techniques I mastered into my best-of-breed approach to all writing instruction.

THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

Multple Courses for Educators

National Geographic offer teaching frameworks that allow me to harness the innate abilities, creativity, and interest of my diverse student demographic. Learning about best practices for engaging students with empathy and using problems in their environment that require solutions, I aspire to build bridges to understanding, harness their knowledge, and inspire students to make a difference in their communities. Regional and global expansion may well be their next tier. Fantastic resources and support of the best modern-day explorers in the world facilitates remarkable learning and teaching opportunities. I use the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of Ernest Shackleton to inspire high school level students and teach them the importance of Antarctica, while middle-school students learn about the Arctic, and elementary-level students investigate animals that have real jobs.

• Developing a National Geographic Explorer Mindset with Your Learners
• Applying Geographic Thinking Skills with Your Learners
• Teaching Global Climate Change in Your Classroom
• Why, How, and When: Introduction to Storytelling
• Storytelling through Infographics

IDITAROD

Iditarod Certified Educator

This certification was awarded to me and twenty-one fellow teachers in 2022 by the Iditarod® Committee Education Department.

Preserving traditional Alaska Native lifestyles as envisioned by Joe Reddington, the committee hosts a long-distance sled-dog event annually. Dog-sled racing is the state sport of Alaska and there are many hosted events on the adventure calendar. The Iditarod® is the longest event of its kind and celebrated its fiftieth year during 2022. All animal events are under scrutiny of some organizations that oppose the practice working animals. This is no exception, but the naysayers clearly have no interest in people lifestyle and transport remained unchanged for millennia and are still the only eco-friendly option. Classes offered here strive to focus on the geography, ecology, history, traditions, sports, and cultures of Arctic Natives.

My passion for the Arctic began in childhood. Growing up in Africa, I had a poster on my bedroom wall inscribed 'Land of the Midnight Sun,' featuring a stunning photograph of Denali. I didn’t know then that I would visit this region much later in life and fall for it completely. Alaska in winter remains one of my favorite destinations. Dog sledding, a pastime I cherish and recommend, keeps you connected with your team and immersed in nature amid a fragmented, distraction-filled society. It demands living in the moment.

I authored a curriculum about this territory, its people, and their traditions. Expanding it to encompass more of the Arctic and address climate change, I inspire students to care about their environment and think on regional and global scales. This writing class integrates mapping activities, human and physical geography, mathematics, geophysics, local traditions, lifestyle, and more. Through guided research, students uncover facts they use to craft compositions tailored with intent for specific audiences and purposes.

TEFL/TESOL

Level 5 Instructor

This Scottish company is the world leader in training and providing services for teachers who work with second language learners from an academic and cultural perspective. With their TESOL/TESL/TEFL courses, they provide professionals with proven techniques and useful skills to teach English to anyone. Training for online, in-person, and telephone-based classes helped many learners master the intricacies of the English language and propelled teachers to become more confident in their abilities.

Completing the training at the highest teaching level, I am positioned to help students who are second language learners to thrive. The cultural training that is integrated in this training benefitted me to host classes seamlessly and comfortably for students from around the globe.

SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY

Postgraduate Credits, Dyslexia for Teachers

This graduate-level course provides comprehensive knowledge of dyslexia and evidence-based teaching methods. The curriculum covers neurological foundations, assessment techniques, and structured literacy interventions. Key topics include phonological awareness, decoding strategies, and multisensory teaching approaches. Completing this course with distinction demonstrates mastery in identifying and supporting students with dyslexia through specialized instruction and accommodation strategies.

ACTFL

English Speaking and Writing Certificates

Alta took an ACTFL speaking proficiency exam and was rated at the Superior Level according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Speakers at the Superior level can converse on a variety of topics in all types of settings, explain complex matters in detail, and provide lengthy narrations with ease and accuracy. They can present opinions and provide structured arguments to support them.

In addition she also took an ACTFL writing proficiency exam and was rated at the Advanced Level according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Writers at the Advanced level can produce routine informal and some formal correspondence, as well as narratives, descriptions, and summaries of a factual nature while using paraphrasing and elaboration to provide clarity.