Teacher Bios
In love with teaching since 1995
Amy Bell
Even though Amy began as a music instructor, her favorite teaching moments always occurred during her writing classes. She began teaching creative writing in 2011 and has been offering it in some capacity ever since. In the years following, she began offering a few other writing classes as she saw the need arise within her local homeschool community. Amy is a prolific writer in addition to being a teacher of writing. On her personal blog (Full Circle Homeschooling), she has written extensively on many subjects, primarily homeschooling and religion.
Between 2011 and 2014, Amy Lee Bell wrote for Homeschool Enrichment Magazine, a bi-monthly publication. In addition to "Dad's Work Is Never Done" (2011, reprinted in 2015) and "Asking Questions, Analyzing Answers" (2011), she wrote "Once Upon a Homeschool" (2011–2014), a regular article featuring a different famous home scholar in each publication. Later, she was asked to co-write the column "News Notes" (2012-2014), which contained homeschool news and commentary.
In 2020, she began teaching writing lessons online using materials from the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). Due to it's methodical approach, IEW quickly became her favorite writing and grammar curriculum of all time, so she gained accreditation that same year and has since become accredited at the Experienced level. In 2025, IEW interviewed her for their teacher spotlight.
Amy has always been a hard worker, and will do everything in her power to deliver an individualized quality education. If that means diving deep into unfamiliar territory or staying up until midnight to research reading comprehension methods for a single student's needs, that's exactly what she'll do. She considers every learning experience an opportunity, and hopes that her students will feel the same way.
Her goal is to fill educational gaps for as many people as possible. She is a good communicator, and this allows her to reach her students at whatever level they find themselves. Amy always strives to continue her education so she can offer her very best to all of her students at all times.
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Elizabeth Pierce
I started teaching with the studio three years ago in both group and single classes as well as tutoring. I especially love equipping students to write creatively, approaching projects by asking questions and seeing what unique solutions they can find. As a former homeschooler, I'm well suited to work with the individual workflows that homeschooled families each have. I am finishing up earning my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration and am always looking for new skills to acquire and new ways to express myself creatively. I have a passion for every step of the process of creative writing, and spend a lot of my time working on my own creative works in writing and illustration.
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Megan Haring
Megan's passion for writing can be traced back to when she was a kid, when she spent significant time writing creatively and rewriting classics imaginatively. Learning from Amy Bell’s early writing classes as well as IEW’s classes fashioned this love even further! During middle school, Megan took a single year of grammar from Miss Amy and quickly became the most advanced grammar student that she had ever taught.
A teacher at heart, Megan has long served children in her community by teaching karate and swimming lessons. When Megan started teaching Fix-It Grammar through Crescenza Studio, Miss Amy soon discovered that Megan’s grammar-teaching skills were just as fine as her grammar-learning skills.
Megan’s devotion is to teach grammar and writing in an atmosphere designed to reduce stress and create enjoyment! As a creative writing and grammar teacher, she specializes in establishing a fun learning environment that cultivates a new relish for writing while nurturing the seeds of knowledge.
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Kaylee Taylor
Kaylee Taylor is the eldest of five children and has greatly enjoyed being a student of Miss Amy’s. She has found IEW immensely helpful and is excited to have the opportunity to teach the concepts that she has so greatly benefited from.
She loves theater whether it be in the spotlight, backstage working crew, or painting set. Kaylee is heavily involved in the local homeschool community and thoroughly enjoys the music program she is enrolled in where she plays several instruments and sings in the choir. Another one of her numerous passions includes riding horses, which she has done for all her life and hopes to continue to pursue in the future.
Kaylee aspires to create an environment in her classes where children can thrive, and writing can be fun and enjoyable for everyone. She has always had a passion for helping others and is hoping that through teaching she can achieve that goal! She is extremely excited for whatever this new season of teaching may bring and can’t wait to meet all her students!
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Kate Michel
Kate Michel is the instructor for the evening Multisensory Creative Writing class. She has been working with children since she was a teenager. As such, she has experience teaching both one-on-one and in classroom settings as well as experience working with students that have a variety of special needs. Her philosophy on life also applies to her educational beliefs. "The most important thing I can do is care. My job is to show love to everyone, especially those who have a hard time loving themselves. I am a firm believer in growth mindset and want to help students to have their best chance at success. My goal is for every student to develop a love of learning that will last a lifetime. I believe there's empowerment through knowledge."
Kate is very experienced in working with both adults and children alike. She is currently a certified substitute teacher at Lucy Wortham James Elementary School in addition to her work for Crescenza Studio. In regards to her own education, Kate has her Associates Degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis on music. Kate is currently a senior at Southeast Missouri State University pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Music Education. Other notable areas of experience include volunteering at the Bourbon, Missouri public library as well as at the local elementary school. While still a teenager, Kate helped her mother run her local church's AWANA program. As a former student through Crescenza Studio, she has experienced the very classes she now teaches.
Kate also has a large amount of experience in regards to working with students that have special needs. When subbing, Kate is often called to work in the special education resource room. While there, she has worked with a variety of disabilities and disorders, both physical and mental. She is most adept at working with children that have autism spectrum disorder. Kate always strives to ensure that every student is seen as an equal, no matter their needs.
With all of her teaching experience, Kate is well equipped to adapt to students' needs throughout the classes she teaches. By teaching the evening class, she hopes to assist homeschool, private school, and public school students alike. She looks forward to meeting each student and helping them to grow academically.
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Jesse Bell
Jesse Bell specializes in finding educational gaps and filling them. He teaches mathematics, reading, spelling, grammar, and writing, but due to his many interests, he sometimes offers electives such as economics and government.
Jesse is unique to the team in that his mathematical know-how has been continually reinforced by his former career in manufacturing. His experience helps him bring real-world scenarios to the classroom and answers a common question for some of our most logical students: “Why do I have to learn this stuff?” He is especially adept in teaching complex concepts in an accessible, engaging, and relevant way.
Jesse has been teaching in some form his entire adult life in various careers. The best part about what he does is watching kids' minds grow. He finds it extremely rewarding to help students overcome obstacles and learn new skills while sometimes being able to fill in gaps that they may have had previously. Some of his other pastimes include motorcycling, gaming, weight-lifting, and spending time with his family.
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Crystal Wainwright
Crystal Wainwright is a former homeschooling mom of four children (now adults) and a certified elementary and special education teacher. She currently teaches second grade in the St. James R1 School District, where she focuses on English, Language Arts, and Social Studies. Though she has experience in teaching all subjects, her ultimate passion is for literacy and writing instruction. She is also certified in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), is a certified parent educator through Parents as Teachers, and an Apple Certified Teacher. These professional credentials further strengthen her commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-based instruction. Her teaching centers on building strong reading foundations and helping students develop confident writing skills.
Crystal believes students thrive when they are empowered to take ownership of their learning. She fosters a growth mindset by encouraging effort, persistence, resilience, and overall a love for reading. She strives to maintain a learning environment that is a positive and supportive space where students are self-motivated, creative, and unafraid to take on challenges. She is experienced in working with learners of all ability levels and is skilled at scaffolding instruction to meet individual needs.
In addition to her professional training and experience in teaching all subjects, Crystal brings personal experience to her work with neurodivergent learners, having raised children with Autism, ADHD, and other diverse learning styles. Her deep understanding and compassion for unique learning needs drive her commitment to inclusive education. She is excited for the opportunity to reconnect with the homeschool community and support students in growing their reading and writing abilities.
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Yvette Simmons
Yvette has been a homeschool educator for over 13 years and has a real passion for helping students become strong, confident communicators. With a degree in Communication Studies and Political Science from Texas State University, she brings both experience and enthusiasm to the classroom.
For nearly a decade, Yvette has instructed students using the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) method. As a certified IEW instructor, she's known for blending structure with creativity. Her students (Yvette's children, virtual students, and in-person co-op students) have come to expect structured lessons followed by engaging activities and practical applications to ensure the concepts stick.
A former national and international collegiate competitor in speech and debate, Yvette understands the lifelong value of effective communication. She remains actively involved in the high school speech and debate circuit, serving as a judge and mentor with the goal of developing another generation of effective communicators. Her own journey was shaped by a remarkable English teacher and coach whose influence remains today. Yvette recognizes the impact one instructor can have on a student's trajectory, and this recognition influences her mission to leave a lasting positive impact on each of her students.
Outside the virtual classroom, Yvette operates a homeschool cooperative and teaches in-person writing and grammar courses. She is also the founder of Tailor Made With The Simmons. After years of creating custom resources for her own classes, she started her business to share these tools and resources with other families looking for fun, effective ways to learn writing and grammar.
At heart, Yvette is a lifelong learner who loves to encourage others. Her goal is to help students grow, not just as writers but as thinkers and communicators who are ready for whatever challenge comes next.
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Makayla Smith
Makayla’s writing journey started at a very young age. She didn’t always like it, but as she got older, it became easier and more enjoyable. Makayla has loved writing about her life and writing research papers on topics that interest her, whether that be injuries, basketball, or animals. After graduation she wants to work full time at Starbucks and continue teaching part time. She has always had a soft spot for teaching and kids. Makayla started babysitting in 2022 and loves interacting with active children.
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Janelle Simmons
Janelle is an up-and-coming educator with a deep passion for education and cultivating creativity. Her writing instruction is rooted in methods of the Institute for Excellence in Writing. Janelle’s commitment to education and writing is demonstrated as she pursues a degree in education and journalism at Texas State University.
In addition to tutoring, Janelle is passionate about coaching. She serves her community as a volunteer sprint coach and off-season trainer, where she encourages and develops athletes with dedication and care. A natural encourager, Janelle is devoted to drawing out the raw talent within each of her students.
Her virtual classroom reflects a thoughtful balance of structure and creativity. Janelle believes students absorb more when they are active and engaged. Her teaching incorporates movement, songs, and patterns to create lasting connections. Using these methods, her students develop strong foundational skills in grammar and writing that truly stick.
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Ian Bell
Ian is an analytical and highly intuitive instructor who graduated at age sixteen. With a strong inclination toward logical and analytical thinking, he is skilled at spotting gaps in conventional explanations and presenting ideas in more straightforward, structured ways.
He is particularly well-suited for students who question or resist standard approaches to math, grammar, and writing. Rather than dismissing those instincts, he recognizes that many commonly accepted terms, definitions, and conventions feel inconsistent or incomplete. He helps students learn traditional frameworks while also acknowledging where those systems seem to fall short, giving thoughtful, opinionated students room to wrestle with the material without shutting down their objections.
Known for his ability to break down complex ideas and rebuild them in simpler terms, he helps students move past frustration by addressing underlying misunderstandings and explaining concepts in ways that make sense to them.
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Angissell Jimenez
Founder & Instructor, Como Se Dice LLC
Learn with Your Heart and Hands!
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, I bring a lifelong passion for the Spanish language, Hispanic culture, and meaningful communication to every student I teach. As a mother of two bilingual boys, I understand firsthand both the challenges and rewards of language learning. At Como Se Dice LLC, I believe that language and culture cannot be separated. Learning Spanish is more than memorizing vocabulary and grammar—it is an opportunity to discover the traditions, history, values, music, food, and stories of Spanish-speaking communities around the world.
My teaching philosophy, “Learn with your heart and hands,” is grounded in the principles of language acquisition and multisensory learning through games, movement, storytelling, art, theater, manipulatives, interactive experiences, and the purposeful integration of American Sign Language (ASL). By connecting spoken, written, and signed language, students benefit from visual, kinesthetic, and contextual learning experiences that strengthen comprehension, improve retention, and foster confident communication.
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Kimberly Hawkins
Kimberly Hawkins is our dedicated virtual assistant, who plays a crucial role in the efficient operations of Crescenza Studio. She manages a variety of tasks, making sure that everything runs smoothly. One of her key responsibilities is handling the grading process for student papers. She meticulously goes through the provided checklist, which serves as a rubric, to check that every element is accounted for. This attention to detail ensures that each student's work is fairly and comprehensively assessed. She then returns the papers to the students, providing either a grade or further instructions, promoting growth and understanding among our participants.
Besides her crucial work at Crescenza Studio, she leads a multifaceted life. She is the mother of three beautiful, independent children, each with their own unique personality. At her day job, she is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), where she brings her caring and compassionate nature to the field of healthcare. Inspired by her children, Kim is also a talented photographer. Her creative spirit shines through her photography, capturing moments and memories with a unique and artistic perspective. You can explore her photography portfolio on her website: https://kimmyscaptures.wixsite.com/mysite
Kim is the backbone of our administrative support, ensuring that our classes at Crescenza Studio run seamlessly. We're grateful to have such a talented individual on our team.
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Founder's Notes
I sincerely hope that our services are beneficial to you. We are constantly looking for new ways to pass along a love for learning! Let me know if you have any questions or special requests. Teaching is my all-time favorite thing to do!