Susan Kruger
Author of SOAR® Study Skills
Back in 1928, Walt Disney never would have guessed that the creation of his little mouse, “Mickey,” would lead to his widespread career in the entertainment industry. Likewise, Susan Kruger, creator of SOAR® Study Skills, never would have guessed that her struggles in school and the hours of homework fights with her mother would eventually evolve into a successful career. (Her mother never would have imagined it, either!)
While Susan has extensive professional experience and training, she will tell you that her greatest asset as a teacher and study skills coach is that she has been a student for a VERY LONG time. Growing up, Susan was always the youngest member of her class and struggled in school. She was frequently frustrated with her grades that, after spending a lot of time preparing for tests or projects, never seemed to reflect her effort. She often felt frustrated and unmotivated.
However, Susan is living proof that it is possible to get better grades in less time! During her first semester of college, Susan learned several study strategies that taught her how to study smarter -not harder- enabling her to earn a 3.9 GPA that first semester. Susan was amazed to discover that these great grades were actually easier to earn than her mediocre grades from high school!
Susan has now spent the last 13 years teaching hundreds of students how to achieve success in school while also creating time for fun! She began tutoring individual students in study skills but the demand for her expertise grew, so she created the SOAR® Study Skills Workshops to reach more students. She used her experience as a teacher, tutor, and of course, as a student, to identify the core strategies students need to be successful in school. Her workshops were a great success in her community and rendered a lot of attention from schools, parents, and the local media.
Susan now has programs and resources for families across the country and around the world. Her books, classes, and audio programs provide easy and realistic solutions to the most common study problems that students and their families face. She helps students discover how to develop confidence and be successful in school, helps families tackle homework together peacefully, and enables teachers to provide tangible and successful strategies for their students.
Susan and Her Family
Susan is a Certified Teacher with a Master’s Degree as a Reading/Learning Specialist. She travels the country training teachers in study skills/language arts learning and lends her talents as a consultant for a major text-book company. When she is not “working,” Susan enjoys the company of her son, daughter, husband (a fellow educator), and her large extended family.
“A Good Teacher Is a ‘Self-Abuser’ Teacher!”
A grad-school professor of mine said this in class one day. He was lamenting that his wife, a kindergarten teacher, had been on leave for two years to have their two children. He specialized in language acquisition and reading development, so he used his wife’s classroom as an observational laboratory for years. While she was on leave, he was having a difficult time finding a replacement.
The title of this post greeted us in our email inbox on Friday. Elisa Collins, a middle school teacher in Cape Coral, FL, wrote us with exciting news! She went on to say:
“…and Karl Fisch contacted me and congratulated me!! I have used the SOAR curriculum for 3 years now and it has made the kids smarter and more organized!
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that your new year is off to a good start. As you may recall, I tackled a big project in November and December, writing 30 articles in 30 days. I wanted to determine the topics and issues that are of greatest to concern to parents and educators so I can better target the materials we develop and the free articles we distribute.
Some of the hot topics included handwriting (to my surprise), gaps in our educational system, and challenges with motivation. Teachers spoke about their constant frustration that they just can’t “do enough” to reach all of the students they want to reach or have the impact they had hoped to have. Parents are struggling with homework and finding that homework is, in many instances, destroying their relationships with their children. Heavy stuff.
This (book) is very easy to understand. It is laid out neatly and the strategies have helped me a lot! Thank you for everything!
Adrienne G.
Tobi Flair
Public Middle School
New Orleans, LA
Tobi Flair is the principal at Harry Hurst Middle School in Destrehan, Louisiana. Her building has built a 20-minute session of “SOAR time” into their daily schedule.
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