My name is
Jan Rataj
You can call me “Yawn”
I am the founder of Great Plains Tutoring, ecologist, Private Tutor, Science & English Language Teacher, and a proud Husband & Father.
The Origin Story
My path as an educator began 10 years ago in the bright & bustling city of Las Vegas, Nevada. While finishing my Master’s program at UNLV, I worked as a high school biology/chemistry teacher & private tutor.
I enjoyed teaching, but what I really loved were the 1-on-1 connections I was able to establish with my tutoring students & families. I could see the immediate impact that my teaching had on my students’ grades and academic confidence — and thus, the idea to create my very own tutoring service was born!
It was only after moving my family to the beautiful - but freezing - state of South Dakota that I decided to take the leap & found Great Plains Tutoring — a tutoring service dedicated to providing every student with a great tutor and a brighter future.
what sets us apart
Who We Serve
Our team of professional
tutors works with many
unique student populations:
Middle & High School Students
English Development or ESL
Multilingual Students
Adult English Language Learners
Our Core Values
Great Plains Tutoring was created to support students who feel overlooked in the public schooling system. We aim to help those students by employing our core values in every learning session:
Cater to various student skill levels
Maintain clear communication with parents & families
Employ high expectations, consistent encouragement, & goal oriented learning.
Serving Community
We proudly support families in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and adjacent towns!
We work with SD state standards and academic based expectations to ensure student success.
Our ultimate aim is to enhance the academic welfare of our great state’s students and community.