My approach to teaching writing is one that blends both halves of my career, as both policy analyst and behavioral therapist, with an eye for meeting students where they’re at, encouraging them to clarify their own voice and style, and feeding their sense of curiosity for learning in a manner and pace that matches their personality and interests.
I assist students of various ages and skill levels, supporting those who struggle with writing and those seeking more challenging tasks. Sessions can be tailored to aid with homework, refine school essays, or delve into creative literary projects outside of regular coursework.
My core belief is that anyone’s writing abilities can be enhanced with consistent practice and guidance. Writing can be an intimidating task to be avoided, though, which is why alongside teaching the basic building blocks of composition, I strive to ignite a passion for finding and expressing one’s voice. Whether it's through school assignments or personal projects, lessons in spelling, grammar, and sentence structure are seamlessly integrated. For instance, a student with dyslexia who loves trains and horror stories might craft chilling tales about haunted locomotives.
Understanding that each student is unique underscores the value of an experienced, one-on-one writing tutor. My goal is to lay the groundwork for a lifetime of clear, effective written communication, all while ensuring an enjoyable learning experience for your student!
Tutoring For Students
Disabilities
Every student is unique, and has a unique way of learning. For some, that uniqueness has a name, like dysgraphia, dyslexia, ADHD, or ASD. I’m not a clinician, nor can I diagnose your student. What I do have, though, is years of experience working with students who have a wide variety of abilities. Without pigeonholing or pathologizing anyone, I work to meet students where they're at, and provide the personalized supports that will allow them to flourish as young writers.
Elementary School
With an elementary school student who is just learning to write, structured practice is the name of the game. I aim to support student confidence while being strategic about editing and corrections – we’re not looking for perfection just yet! As students start to nail the basics, I look to introduce planning, sentence and paragraph structure, and revisions. No matter what, I always want to make sure my youngest students are having fun while learning to express themselves through language!
Middle School
I’ll help your middle schooler continue to build sentence and paragraph structures, while also introducing outlining, planning, and research habits. For some students, a little bit of grammar goes a long way; for others, it's more about discovering the expressive possibilities (and the fun!) of writing. This can look like exploring texts that utilize different styles, and then adapting it for their own projects. In any case, I help students develop the habits of strong, clear writing that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
High School
As a high school writing tutor, I continue to attend to questions of sentence and paragraph structure, while also helping students leverage research and evidence in their essays. The shape of the famous five-paragraph essay is usually introduced in middle school, but in high school students come to understand its relevance to academic writing that might require any number of paragraphs, and a less formulaic style. Teaching them when to break the mold is critical at this stage as they truly learn to find their unique voice.
College
Having a personal writing tutor can be essential to grasping what exactly your professors are asking of you. I faced this challenge myself in college, often found myself assisting my peers with their own essays, and emerged successfully. Now, as a tutor, I assist students in achieving exceptional outcomes and developing skills crucial for writing papers and theses in their academic journey, whether they're pursuing nursing, political science, or delving into the cultural intricacies of the Tibetan sand fox.
Rates
I charge $60 for regularly scheduled one-hour online sessions, and $67.50 for regularly scheduled one-hour session in person at a library of your choice.
Please feel free to reach out, and include your student’s age, needs, and availability in your message.