Why don’t you kick off your shoes and stay awhile?

I’m glad you’ve landed on my little piece of the internet. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rebecca Burgener, and I am a writer and tutor from East Tennessee. With my teaching hat, I focus on helping elementary and middle school students with reading, writing, and math. I am passionate about poetry, and I love to include it for reluctant readers and writers. Seventeen syllable haiku sound much less intimidating that 250 word essays!

I teach at Look Learning Center where I not only provide one-on-one tutoring but also host small group classes. One of my daughters tutors as well. I homeschool my own children, and I have been doing so since my oldest child started kindergarten in 2010.

I graduated in 2005 from Tennessee Tech University with a degree that decreed me “highly-qualified” for any subject between kindergarten and the sixth grade. Other than internships, I have never worked in a public-school classroom, but I’ve tutored for Sylvan Learning Center and Mathnasium and taught multiple classes in Homeschool Co-op settings. Back in the summer of 2022, I began tutoring again while renting a classroom space from Allegro Knoxville Music Studio. My Allegro friends supported me as I launched Look Learning Center in August of 2024. I share often about my teaching journey and available classes on my Miz Rebecca facebook page.

With all that I do, my writing hat follows me. I hope to leave more finished projects than unfinished for my children. I’ve been quite busy with raising children, and those winds are shifting. We’re a far cry from empty nesters with our surprise caboose born in 2019, but the demands are different at these ages and stages. Perhaps I can find a little more focus for completed projects in the years ahead.

On January 17, 2024, I joined the first Stafford Challenge and wrote two hundred eighty-nine poems over the course of the following year. The Stafford Challenge, Year Two has begun, and I keep writing poetry. Some of my poetry will make it into books, but you can read it all on my author facebook page. I love comments and feedback!

I also appreciate support on the Buy Me a Coffee App. I thank my supporters by writing poetry on the topics they choose. Patrons have supported artists throughout history. What would the artistic world be like without Shakespeare, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Harper Lee?

Finally, I plan to launch a newsletter and podcast in the near future. You can encourage those launches by sharing your email address with me now. Thank you so much!

As always, feel free to contact me directly through email. 

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rain fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

~Traditional Irish Blessing