Meet the Tutors
Home & School Tutoring Pods was founded by two homeschooling, Christian moms, Joanna Meliti and LeAnn Tipton. They have also worked as local homeschool co-op teachers, hybrid co-op teachers, and private tutors over the last several years. We're excited to have added another tutor, Kelsey Buckles, this year. All of the tutors are accredited with Bachelor and Masters Degrees of Education, with specializations in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, and Learning Disabilities.
Joanna Meliti
Co-Director & Co-Founder
Lower Elementary Tutor
Grades K-1
About the tutor
Joanna Meliti graduated college in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and earned a Master of Science in Inclusive Education in 2013. During her 11 years of teaching in the classroom at private schools, she served as a summer camp director, K-3 team leader, school board teacher representative, mentor teacher, and author of a K-12 Language Arts Framework project. She was awarded Student Teacher of the Year/Dean’s Award in Education, Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, and nominated for Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Outstanding Young Educator Award.
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In 2019, she decided to be a stay-at-home mom shortly after her daughter was born. When Joanna stepped back into teaching, she was a private homeschool tutor for families and has taught at a co-op for the past three years. Joanna is excited to blend her experience as a classroom teacher and a private homeschool tutor to continue helping families as a co-director of Home & School Tutoring Pods.
Joanna has a passion for working with young learners! She enjoys helping her students’ progress in all areas of their development—social and academic. She strives to create a positive and fun learning environment for her students, so they feel nurtured and supported as they learn and grow.
Outside of teaching, Joanna enjoys spending time with her husband, Brett, and their daughter. Joanna and Brett met at 13 years old and have been married for 17 years. Joanna enjoys reading, camping, baking, spending time with family, and relaxing at the beach.
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She looks forward to working together with you as partners in your child’s growth and development!
Kelsey Buckles
Middle & Upper Elementary Grades Tutor
Grades 2-4
About the tutor
Kelsey graduated from Lee University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She spent the next 7 years teaching in Knox County Schools, during which time she developed and led a school dance team, held various committee leadership positions within the school, and was chosen as her school’s Teacher of the Year in 2017. In 2020, she became a stay-at-home mom when her second child was born and began her homeschooling journey three years later when her son started Kindergarten.
Kelsey lives in Strawberry Plains with her husband, Jeremy, and their two children, Jackson and Maggie. She is currently the Kids Worship Leader at her church and helps families plan vacations all over the world as a travel agent. Kelsey enjoys thrift shopping, gardening, and traveling with her husband and children.
In the classroom, Kelsey loves making learning come alive for her students. Her goals as a teacher are to meet students at their needs, provide social opportunities for students to learn from each other, and make education a fun and exciting adventure. She hopes to make her students feel successful and confident in their abilities as a learner and as an individual.
Kelsey was able to experience Home & School Tutoring Pods as a parent in 2023 and fell in love with the program. She is thrilled to be a part of the pods this year as a teacher!
LeAnn Tipton
Co-Director & Co-Founder
Upper Elementary/Middle School Tutor
Grades 5-7
About the tutor
With a heart for nurturing young minds and a dedication to fostering a love for learning, LeAnn Tipton embarked on her teaching career in 2001 in southern Alabama. Throughout her teacher training, she was drawn to the constructivist educational method, which empowers students to take ownership of their learning journey and fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity. LeAnn received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Troy State University Dothan (2013) and later earned her Master's degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (2017). She taught all subjects and grade levels, K-5, in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Throughout her tenure as a public school teacher, LeAnn not only excelled in the classroom but also played instrumental roles as a reading curriculum coach, summer school interventionist, mentor teacher, and contributor to state curriculum standards. After almost 12 years of teaching in public schools, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom and began homeschooling her own children in 2015.
LeAnn lives on her family farm in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, with her husband, Jim, and their two daughters, Amelia and Lili. Aside from farm chores, they stay active with their church, family, and friends. LeAnn is grateful to God for allowing her to continue her own family’s homeschooling journey and leading her to this important educational support role in her community.
LeAnn's focus with Home & School Tutoring Pods is to assist every student in finding success and joy in their homeschooling journey. With so many options and obstacles in education today, it is sometimes difficult for families to navigate all the academic and social aspects without proper support. LeAnn hopes her professional experience and personal encouragement will help bridge those gaps and insure growth and achievement for all learners.