About Brightside

About Me

Welcome to Brightside Online Learning

Welcome to Brightside Online Learning

Learn more about me and my background

Learn more about me and my background

I moved to Lafayette, Colorado in May of 2020 and made the decision to work directly with children and families supporting the many needs and challenges of the distance learning environment during the pandemic. I believe in the power of support and guidance to make distance learning accessible and joyful for children and I’m committed to providing learning experiences in ways that nurture growth and development, stoke curiosity, and activate critical thinking skills. The support I am offering your child cultivates a positive and meaningful relationship with learning and prevents interruptions threatened by the pandemic.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Education from California University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix, and my professional teaching certifications include PK-4, ELA 7-12, and ESL PK-12 in the states of Colorado, California, and Pennsylvania. I’m also trained in mindful meditation, receiving instruction through the Mindful Schools program and am a certified yoga teacher (RYT-200).

I’m passionate about education and have had the privilege of working with children ages 6-18 for over 15 years. My first teaching role was in the San Francisco Unified School District from 2005-2017 where I taught both English Language Arts and English as a Second Language. I learned quickly that building a relationship of trust and respect with my children created the strong foundation of our learning community. I took on endeavors beyond the role of classroom teacher including establishing mindful meditation programs at multiple schools in the district, providing professional development and teacher education opportunities for my fellow educators, starting a debate team at my school through the Bay Area Urban Debate League, working with my dear colleague as co-coach to develop our school’s Cross Country team, offering free after school yoga classes convincing our football and basketball players to attend (they loved it!), and more. I passionately believe in the power and value of the work I do which keeps me grounded in my primary purpose as an educator: to advocate for students while supporting and nurturing their academic and emotional growth.

I also have experience in higher education working closely with the Director of Institutional Research and Assessment offering instructional coaching services to faculty members. I worked closely with professors, helping them make sense of research and assessment data to guide their course development and improve their instructional practices. This experience expanded my awareness of using assessments, tests, and quizzes not only as a tool to identify students’ growth and achievement, but to humbly reflect on and improve my own teaching practices. I am a lifelong learner who embraces being a ‘work in progress’ and whether they’re in the classroom, on a team, or on their yoga mats, my students appreciate my honesty and humility. They let me guide them and in turn, they offer me guidance.

“I passionately believe in the power and value of the work I do which keeps me grounded in my primary purpose as an educator: to advocate for students while supporting and nurturing their academic and emotional growth.”

Elizabeth Cossick
Current Active Teaching Certifications
  • Colorado: English Language Arts, 7 - 12; ELD (PK-12)
  • Pennsylvania: Elementary Education (PK-4)
  • California: English Language Arts, 7 - 12; ELD (PK-12)
Education
  • B.S. in Education from California University of PA
  • M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Phoenix

A little extra

My Doggos

Arya and Webster are my two furry friends. Arya is a Belgain Malinois who is always looking for something fun to do and Webster is a Boxer mix who loves rolling around in the grass. They both enjoy hiking adventures, camping trips, and swimming in Coal Creek. I enjoy taking photos of them on our adventures, here are a few of my favorites:

Arya against a smokey sunset near Clear Creek
Arya in the rolling hills near San Francisco
Arya and Webster being snuggly dogs
Arya enjoying a nice walk through Clear Creek
Arya taking in the sights of Lake Isabelle
Webster enjoying the sunset out in Moab Utah
Webster taking a break on a trail near the Colorado River in Moab Utah
Webster taking in the sunset near Moab Utah

Travels

I love exploring and adventuring, especially if it includes nature, and I have a big list of places I want to go. My dream is to visit all 62 of the National Parks in the U.S. with Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons being the highest on my list. Colorado is such a special place to live with plenty of nearby adventures to enjoy and since I’m so new here I would love some suggestions from you! Here are a few of the National Parks I’ve gotten to visit:

Me and Arya taking a break from hiking in the Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

Strange rock formations in Arches National Park

Arches National Park

A cool tree I found in Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Me and my group on the crater edge in Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park


About Brightside

The current environment of distance learning has created a plethora of challenges for children, parents, and educators. My role is to serve as part of the support system to ensure your child is not only receiving quality learning experiences during this time, but also growing and advancing as a student. With each child and family having specific needs, I am offering a variety of services to support the at-home learning environment for children and families. I will work closely with you to identify and develop a structured plan that goes beyond tutoring to nurture a holistic learning experience.

Services Offered

Below are some of the packages available, you can also contact me to setup a custom plan to fit your needs

Brightside Online Learning - Learning Support & Tutoring
Learning Support & Tutoring

Enhance distance learning for your child with daily contact including one-to-one instruction, lessons, tutoring, and oversight with parent support available with each session

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Brightside Online Learning - Parent Support
Parent Support

Receive guidance and support where you need it in all aspects of distance learning including informational walk-throughs of the distance learning classroom, technical support, homeschooling curriculum, and more

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Brightside Online Learning - Learning Plan
Learning Plan

You’ll have a personal teacher with the services of both Learning Support & Tutoring and Parent Support plus individualized curriculum, daily online instruction, detailed progress reports, and more

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Contact Me

For more information or to create a custom plan, please connect with me using the form below.

Or schedule an appointment to see how I can best help you and your child

Schedule Now