Today we’d like to introduce you to Khalia Murray.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Whew! Never in my wildest dreams as a child did, I think I would be an Educator. I began my Freshman year at Spelman College believing that I would be an Entertainment Lawyer. As I matriculated through Spelman as a Political Science major, I took a Constitutional Law class and had an immediate change of plans. I used to volunteer at an after-school program called Raising Expectations. One day one of my students was extremely frustrated with his schoolwork, broke down, and said “This is stupid! I just want to go to jail like my dad!”. I went back to campus that day heartbroken that this young man felt this way. I pondered about how I could change the mindset of children that had thoughts like this.
I became fascinated with Education Reform and Policy. I had an amazing opportunity to participate in the Walton UNCF K-12 Education Fellowship Program. I was placed at Building Excellent Schools in Boston, MA. Building Excellent Schools is an organization that trains school-leaders how to found and open robust public schools. It provided me a new lens of thinking about public education and inspired me to embark on my journey as an Educator. I take great pride in acknowledging that my hometown, Teaneck, NJ was the first community in the nation to voluntarily integrate their Public School System.
I started my career in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC as a Pre-Kindergarten Teacher. Throughout my tenure, I’ve served in many other roles, such as Kindergarten Teacher, Grade Level Chair, and most recently as a K-4 Interventionist. I’m prepared to make a difference by assisting in molding the young minds of our future!
I can truly say that being in Quarantine due to the pandemic has brought out my more creative side. When the pandemic first hit in March 2020, my school said that we would be closed for two weeks and we sent our students home with learning packets. Well, two weeks turned into two months! To prepare for our new normal, we had to distribute technology to our students and revamp our Scope and Sequence for how we would execute our instruction.
Mastering Online Learning was a whirlwind! I found myself troubleshooting technology, adding animations to my presentations, and encouraging students and families to engage in our new platforms. In my free time, I created a Youtube channel to showcase my lessons from Online Learning. Then I began conducting sessions with my nieces and nephews to reinforce what they were learning in school. Word of mouth traveled to my close friends and family, and Ms.Murray’s Corner evolved from there! The next thing I knew, I had a full-fledged business, seeing about five clients a week. It gave me the opportunity to provide one on one services to students and families that were feeling overwhelmed with their class sizes and the new online learning protocols.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being an educator has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding and fulfilling careers. Experiencing long hours, insufficient pay, extreme student behaviors, and lack of support from School Leadership teams just to name a few. However, it has taught me the importance of tenacity and grit. The phenomenal relationships I’ve been able to foster with students and families make up for all the struggles that come with being an Educator. Witnessing the immense growth that students can make in a school year is so motivational! It gives me great pleasure to wake up every morning knowing that I am truly making a difference in children’s lives.
As far as Ms.Murray’s Corner goes, the biggest struggle I have encountered thus far is managing my schedule. Keeping up with my full-time job, tutoring, and other organizations that I am a part of, Time Management is definitely crucial! I wanted to be able to keep up with all my obligations but at the same time not overcommit myself. I have finally reached a point where I am in control of my schedule and have enough time for my tutoring clients.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Ms.Murray’s Corner story. Tell us more about the business.
Ms.Murray’s Corner is an Atlanta-based tutoring company but are currently providing robust, virtual, one-on-one educational instruction. I provide services to students in Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade. Ms.Murray’s Corner focuses on Literacy and Mathematics with concepts ranging from Reading Comprehension, Fluency, Phonics, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division, Number Bonds, or a concept of your choice.
What sets me apart from other Tutoring companies is that I am doing this solo-dolo. Many tutoring companies have multiple teachers that are available to work with students. I tailor my Tutoring sessions to meet the individualized needs of the student. I send my families’ detailed lesson plans prior to the session on the topics we will cover, including hyperlinks for them to access, as well as follow up assignments. I believe the one on one sessions allow me to hone in on concepts that students may need additional reinforcements in.
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
I believe that Online learning will definitely be our normal for the next five years or so. We do not have a handle on this virus nor do we have a true deadline for when we will have a cure. I find it highly unlikely to believe people will be willing to get the vaccine. Many educators have resigned from their full-time jobs and began teaching in Pods, which are small groups of children. I’ve heard of Pod groups meeting virtual and in person. The Pod Leader trend will continue if Educators feel that it is not safe enough for them to be in school buildings. I believe more fully Virtual Schools will evolve as well. Every day I am hearing of more and more families enrolling their children in Georgia Cyber Academy, which is a tuition-free online public charter school. The pandemic has definitely shifted the public’s opinions of Educators. We are superheroes and go above and beyond for our students. We want what is best for them and will always choose the safest option!
Pricing:
- $25 for 30 minute sessions
- $40 for 1 hour sessions
Contact Info:
- Website: www.msmurrayscorner.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/Msmurrayscorner
- Other: www.youtube.com/Msmurrayscorner
Image Credit:
Photo Credit: @momentswithjade; Logo: @Mavenmrkt
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
