McDonough Ink

I enjoy a telephone conversation first to get to know a student a little, her/his background, education, goals for learning English and anything else that is relevant to the student's tutoring needs and desires. Next I meet my student at an agreed upon location, whether a library or a coffee shop, where we can meet for an hour, uninterrupted. This casual environment gives us a chance to get to know one another a little better and talk more about the student's goals and needs; my ideas about how I might help the student attain goals and exchange our ideas. I'm resourceful and will bring the student any books, documentation and/or periodicals I can get my hands on to help. If we decide to work together, we agree to meet at a mutually agreeable time and location. If we decide we're not the best fit, we go our separate ways, no hard feelings.

I have been a tutor with the California Library Literacy Services in Marin and Santa Barbara counties for 20 years. I have utilized textbooks, novels, essays, workbooks and homework exercizes specific to each learner's level of English, from beginner to advanced. I have taken literacy workshops focused on teaching from different sources, from online to print; teaching the basics, from grammar to vocabulary; teaching to learners who learn differently, by sight, sound or showing/doing.

I am a professional copywriter and editor, published online and in magazines, catalogs and ads. 

Most importantly, I am passionate about literacy for everyone. As far as I'm concerned, it is right at the top of the most important gifts we have. How can individuals thrive in a family, a community, a society without participating in discussions, taking tests, reading to our children, among a million other things communication lets us do to participate in this world we live in? 

No. Pricing depends on the needs of my learners, how often and how long we meet. I'm happy to discuss.

As I said earlier, I think literacy is vital to everybody. I got started teaching English in the California Library Literacy Services program in Marin County as soon as I discovered it was something offered by libraries. When I moved to Santa Barbara in 2003, I became a tutor in its literacy program. The first thing I did was show my learners how to get a city library card, and I'd give them a pocket dictionary to carry with them in a purse or back pocket. 

Adults, ages 20 - 60.

Lola and I love to body surf and swim in the ocean in any weather. Recently, my new neighbor, Stephanie, told us she wanted to come with us. Lola and I had heard this before.

"Oh, how fun, I want to come, I want to come and swim too," was a familiar refrain, followed by a completely revised desire as soon as we're standing in front of the waves. "Oh, it looks so cold. Oh, the waves are too big. Oh, look how far out the waves are breaking." Lola and I exchanged looks. We said okay. After all, she was my new neighbor, and I wanted to be friendly. We walked down the street and across the white, warm sand, a happymaking lift for our feet.

"Okay let's go," Lola said, and we ducked into the seaweedy waves, springing up on the other side where it was clear blue green to the bottom. Stephanie was standing on the beach with a screwed up expression, looking worried.

"C'mon in, Steph," I yelled. 

"Oh, I don't know," she said in a wavery voice. "There's so much seaweed. It's not like Hawaii."

"Come on in. There's no seaweed out here. The water's warmer out here," Lola yelled this time, gently.

"Oh, I don't know," Stephanie said as she put one big toe in the broken wave bubbles. "I don't want to go out to the buoy with you, it's too far," she added, shading her eyes with one pale hand, surveying the distance to the buoy.

Lola and I looked at each other, and without saying a word, swam back to shore. We cooed and coaxed Stephanie into the water up to her waist. We thought she might be a fun new friend and wanted her to do this with us, make her a part of our little swimming party.

"This is nice," Stephanie said, a smile gaining speed across her face. "I like this. I can just bob up and down right here. This is fun bobbing up and down. I think I'll stay right here and bob," she said swishing her still dry hair.

Lola and I looked at each other and took off through the clear blue green waves toward the buoy, looking at the toy-size tan fish scuttling underneath us. We rounded the slimy buoy with high fives, free in this sparkly bliss, and raced back to Stephanie.

"This is fun," she said, still bobbing. Can we do this tomorrow? Lola and I looked at each other. Now we were friends.