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14 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • February 2024 WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING Ask the Expert a sk t h e e x p e rt Tutoring has been a central theme of Carol Medawar's life as an educator. Starting during her undergraduate years, she would reserve a room at her school's library to tutor ele- mentary school educators preparing for their praxis—an exam necessary for certification. After beginning her education career in special education 29 years ago, Medawar continued working one-on-one with students in her off hours. It was a way to bring in extra money, but it also showed her just how much progress students can make when they receive individual coaching from an educator who can home in on their specific struggles. Over the course of her career, she has worked with learners of all kinds, and in all grade levels from K-12, in many different Virginia school districts. When the pandemic hit, Medawar, who now works as an instructional math coach for Alexandria City Public Schools and was recently elected to the Spotsylvania County School Board, knew the school closures would leave many students with learning gaps. After completing her PhD in Instructional Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2023, she decided it was time to launch an online tutoring business that could bring the benefits of one-on-one tutoring to more students. That was the beginning of Instructional Coaching and Tutoring or iCAT. "High-dose tutoring has been proven to be one of the fastest ways to help students close learning gaps," Medawar said. "Some students may come into it reluctantly, thinking it will be just like school— they very quickly learn that it's not just like school. It's personalized, one-on-one. We meet them where they are. They can ask questions and build their rapport with their tutor. That's very different from the classroom environment where some students may be more reluctant to ask questions." High-Quality TUTORING TUTORING Can Fit Into a Busy Schedule iCAT's virtual approach brings one-on-one help to more students. Carol Medawar, founder of Instructional Coaching and Tutoring.