Eliandra West, MS. Ed.

I began teaching Special Education in 2005 at Pacific High School, the first alternative high school in New York City. Although students were about to age out of high school, they did not have enough credits to graduate the school. I took pride in helping a 20-year-old student earn his diploma by finally grasping the material to pass the Biology Regents exam, after taking it four times previously. 

Another memorable student was a successful entrepreneur and owner of a thriving online sneaker reselling business at the age of 19! Despite this accomplishment, he was unable to pass the Math Regents exam. I helped him connect his success in crunching numbers as a Sneakerhead with similar calculations and reasoning needed to pass the Math Regents exam. He eventually graduated from his charter school and applied to a local community college. This news brought tears of joy to my eyes.

As the owner of Ebentive, and a Special Education Teacher, I contract with various Departments of Education on the East Coast to teach middle and high school students with learning disabilities. In shortage areas, local DOE’s have allowed me to teach students in Primary schools. My methodology includes focusing on building rapport while enhancing self-esteem. When there is trust and a sense of safety, it becomes easier to instill the standards of learning in students, especially those who struggle with learning disabilities.

My teaching style is tough, fair, and disciplined! But parents bring their children to learn year after year because I expect nothing but the best from my students. And my students often surprise themselves by outperforming their low expectations as their self confidence grows. I am with them from grade to grade (for some as long as 6 years) as their educational success gains traction from the continuity they receive from the Ebentive Program.

I earned a Master's degree in Special Education from Long Island University, and have informed my teaching with Graduate coursework in Psychology. I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University.