About
I am a student's teacher. This means I am the kind of tutor who does not lecture students; rather, I listen first and then teach according to the student's needs.
Reading and writing are my true passions in life; teaching gives me the opportunity to guide others to appreciate the complexity and joy of reading and writing.
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Professional Writing with a minor in Fine Arts from Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. During my time at Juniata, I worked in several professional writing and tutoring positions. I was a lab leader or writing class teaching assistant, held a variety of writing internships, and worked as a professional writer for the provost my Senior year.
In my time as a lab leader at Juniata College, I helped students edit papers, think creatively, and improve their overall writing. Prior to this experience, I worked as a nanny over summers and tutored the children. I have worked in various writing roles giving me real-world experiences which embolden my teaching.
I worked full-time as a professional marketing writer for a small business for 4 years. In present day, I am in the process of becoming a certificated Art and English Secondary Educator. I have taught as a long-term substitute English teacher for the 24-25 academic year in Frederick County Public Schools. I taught one session of advanced English Language Arts, one session of year-long cotaught English, and one session of 10th grade grade level English Language Arts. Additionally, I completed a long-term substitute position as a Special Education Instructional Assistant in primarily English classrooms. Lastly, I completed a long-term substitute position as a all grade high school ceramics teacher. Outside of my full-time teaching endeavors, I tutor students to become better writers and readers.
The link below is to my LinkedIn Profile to see my current endeavors in the professional world:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanna-parenti-6b5b49175/
One of the joys of being a tutor and educator is being the first person to see everything "click" in a student.
It is humbling to watch a student grow from being a reserved and unsure individual to be confident and curious. When a student comes to me to become a better writer, the main activity I employ throughout our time is comparing their old writing to their new pieces.
Often, within three to four months I will ask a student to rewrite the first short essay I originally assigned. After finishing the piece, I ask them to read aloud the first essay and then the most recent rewrite. The shock and pride that grows on their face as they read their most recent rendition are why I teach.
Photos and videos
Reviews
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
1. Meet with the student and discuss what their learning goals are and in what time frame
2. Create a loose yet structured syllabus we can follow for our agreed timeline
3. Successfully complete the syllabus (if there are any hiccups in the timeline, I adjust the learning schedule after discussing with the student)
4. I like to keep lines of communication open with my students to ensure they are effectively learning in a structured timeline.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Juniata College (May 2020) in English Literature and Professional Writing. This specific degree gave me an in-depth knowledge of:
-American, contemporary, British, and world literatures
-Creative and professional writing
-Marketing and persuasive writing
-Blog writing
-Journalism
-Essay and academic/literary analysis writing
-Public Speaking
-Literary Analysis
-Historical analysis through a literary lens
Moreover, my experience working as a lab leader, professional writer for the provost, journalist, and substitute high school teacher has prepared me to:
-Respond to emails in a timely manner
-Listen first and respond accordingly
-Be creative when planning lessons to ensure the student actually enjoys what is being taught (people learn more when they are having fun)
-Do not be afraid to show your excitement or happiness when teaching
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
$25 per hour
This rate can be altered if you plan on being a consistent student.
How did you get started teaching?
Since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a teacher. I was the child who would line up her stuffed animals and teach whole classes to them. I would read aloud, correct grammar on my little chalkboard, and even print handouts.
Going into college, I decided to earn a general English degree rather than an education degree because I wanted to ensure I was going to receive as much education about English literature and writing as possible. To further my education, I applied for teaching positions within the school. I helped guide freshmen into their college careers by editing essays and giving weekly tutoring sessions. Moreover, in the summers when I was not participating in writing internships, I was nannying for local families and tutoring the children daily.
Graduating during a pandemic is not fun, especially when looking for a job. Growing up and throughout college, I always admired my teachers and felt a sense of comfort and stability from them whenever there was a time of distress. Although I am not teaching full time, I hope through this position, I can offer some comfort, stability, and maybe even a bit of magic to your students.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have primarily worked with college freshmen and secondary aged students.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Working as a long-term substitute at the same school for a whole year gave me the opportunity to see my students develop their writing and reading in person. At the end of this school year, I was so proud to review with fellow English teachers my student's progression through data points. When we shared the data showing significant growth to the students, I was left speechless watching them admire and feel pride in their reading and writing abilities.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
-Look for someone who is passionate about what they are teaching
-Someone who is open-minded (In English we always say "there is no wrong answer".) Sometimes there are wrong answers but your teacher should always be willing to listen to you first and hear why you think you are right. Then, they can challenge your answer to hopefully guide you to the right one.
-Look for someone who will make learning English Language Arts fun!
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
-What do I want to learn?
-How long do I want the process to take? or Do I have a deadline (an AP exam, SAT, ACT, GPA for college applications)?
-How do I learn most effectively? (on paper, long-form questions, lecture, computer games)
-Am I an independent learner or do I like more guidance?