Welcome to My Class!

My name is Becky Heucke-Sambade, and I'm so happy to have you here!

I believe that learning should be natural and fun! My goal is for my students to feel empowered, passionate, curious, and excited about learning. I strive to create an environment where my students feel confident stepping outside of their comfort zones, exploring, asking questions, and connecting their own dots. I want your child to love reading and writing as much as I do!

I am patient, encouraging, and gentle, and nothing is more rewarding to me than being a part of the "a-ha!" moments! I am a state-certified teacher with over 7 years of experience in classrooms and tutoring centers. I have been tutoring privately since 2016.

It's never too early to start preparing lifelong learners!

My Promise to Parents

Parents - I couldn't do it without you! OUR relationship is equally as important as my relationship with your child. I vow to keep you in the loop with each and every lesson and activity and make it easy for you to help your children apply acquired knowledge in their daily lives. As a classroom teacher, the relationships that I created with parents were invaluable. I have been so lucky that the parents of my students have always been the most warm, loving, and welcoming people.

Additional to my classroom teaching experience, I have 3+ years of experience in high school admissions and academic guidance. Working closely with students and their families, school staff members, and representatives from independent school partnership programs, required the utmost mutual trust. I have had measurable success placing rising middle and high school students into highly competitive, high-achieving scholarship programs, affording them the opportunity to attend some of the nation's top private schools.

I have over a decade of experience tutoring privately as I have been tutoring students since 2016. I retired from classroom teaching in 2020 to pursue tutoring full time, which allows me to give parents and students truly individualized attention and fully tailored lessons and guidance.

It is my honor to counsel you through the NJ State Standards and correlating assessments, as well as the high school and college applications processes and scholarship opportunities. It takes a village!

My Story

I grew up, and still live, in Union County, NJ. I am a proud lifelong New Jersey native. Growing up, I loved school. I took as many extracurriculars as I was allowed. This curiosity and passion for learning and exploring has remained strong to this day.
I began my career in education as a part-time substitute teacher at the high school from which I graduated.
In 2012, just prior to completing my college degree, I began to tutor writing at a charter school in Newark, NJ. I worked with students in grades 4 through 8, with a special focus on 8th grade high school applicants.
I graduated from Rutgers University in 2013, where I pursued my passion of English Language and Literature.
Over the summer of 2013, I taught SAT/ACT and SSAT/ISEE summer classes and private sessions at a tutoring center 4 days per week.
At the start of the 2013 school year, I returned to my charter school as a full-time teacher of grades 4 through 8, with dual certifications as an Elementary School Teacher in Grades K-6 (1001) and a Teacher of Elementary School with Subject Matter Specialization: Language Arts/Literacy, Specialization in Grades 5-8 (1006).
I moved into the role of High School Admissions and Academic Guidance in 2018, during which time I placed the majority of our graduating 8th graders into magnet/technical, Catholic, and private schools, including some of the nation's top private secondary schools.
I retired from classroom teaching in 2020 to explore alternative teaching settings and focus on private and small-group tutoring. I currently tutor students privately and occasionally substitute teach.

About Me

I love skiing, boating, reading, and hiking. I live to travel - we are always on the move! My husband and I are loving pet-parents to 2 sweet collies and 1 cuddly cat. In my spare time, I volunteer in schools and nursing homes with one of my dogs, who is a certified therapy dog. I love learning new languages, trying new foods, and meeting new people. I am a happy and optimistic person and love to explore all that life has to offer. Can't wait to connect!