Katie Duennebier

A distinguished educator with thirteen years of experience at New York’s elite private schools, Katie brings both extensive classroom leadership and specialized training in learning development to her work with K-8 students. Her educational background—combining degrees from Kenyon College in English Literature & Creative Writing with a Master’s from Bank Street College in both General and Special Education—provides her with a unique perspective on how children learn and develop across academic domains.

During her twelve years as a homeroom teacher at Spence, Katie wrote and piloted innovative curricula across writing, social studies, and health & wellness, developing a sophisticated understanding of both grade-level expectations and developmental trajectories. This classroom leadership experience gives her exceptional insight into how executive functioning and emotional regulation directly impact academic performance across all subject areas.

Katie’s signature strength lies in her remarkable ability to rebuild students’ relationships with learning through a carefully calibrated blend of structured practice and creative exploration. Drawing on specialized training in multiple evidence-based programs—including Wilson Language, PAF (Preventing Academic Failure), Singapore Mathematics, Bridges in Mathematics, and the Hochman Writing Method—she creates personalized approaches that address both immediate academic content and underlying learning processes. This comprehensive methodology allows her to support students with diverse learning profiles, from those requiring targeted remediation to those seeking enrichment beyond grade level. Parents particularly value Katie’s whole-child approach to education—how she collaborates seamlessly with psychologists, teachers, and families to develop integrated support systems that address academic, emotional, and cognitive needs simultaneously. Her expertise in gradually transferring responsibility to students themselves creates not just immediate academic improvement, but lasting independence and confidence that extends across all learning environments.

Katie’s natural warmth and creativity transform potentially daunting academic challenges into engaging, conquerable puzzles. Whether working with elementary students on foundational literacy and numeracy or preparing middle schoolers for the ISEE/SSAT, she creates an environment where students discover their own capacity for growth and genuine enjoyment of the learning process. This combination of technical expertise and emotional intelligence makes her particularly valuable for students navigating academic transitions or seeking to develop stronger learning foundations across subject areas.

Beyond her tutoring practice, Katie maintains active involvement in educational research and development, staying current with evidence-based practices in literacy, mathematics instruction, and executive functioning support. Her continuous professional growth ensures that her students benefit from the most effective and current approaches to learning development across the elementary and middle school curriculum.