High School English Tutoring
About
I am a National Board Certified high school English teacher with a doctorate in Educational leadership who has been teaching for the past 15 years in the Boston Public Schools. I have worked primarily with students in grades 10-12 on topics that include but are not limited to: American Literature, British Literature, AP English Literature and Composition, College Essay Writing, Expository Essay writing/editing/revision, creative writing and more. I hold teaching licenses in English Langauge Arts Grades 8-12 and English as a Second Language Grade 5-12. I also have experience in working with students with disabilities.
One of the most exciting and rewarding things about being a teacher is the opportunity to be creative and continuously re-imagine the teaching and learning I bring to my students. I have been a teacher for the past 15 years and I have never taught the same class in the same way--there are always new challenges and new needs and new ideas. I am fortunate to have the flexibility I need to continuously re-work my curriculum and learn new pedagogical approaches in order to be able to work with students of all backgrounds and abilities and help them be successful inside of the classroom and beyond.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
One of the most important things about being a successful teacher is building relationships with students. It's important for me to convey that I care about helping them succeed academically but that can't happen unless students feel like I care about them as young adults first and foremost. When working with a new student I try to get to know a bit about them before diving into the work. I ask them questions such as: What are their interests? Do they have any hobbies? What are some of their short term and long term personal goals? After some time getting to know a bit about them and trying to identify commonalities we might have, I ask students to share with me anything they think I should know about them, especially when it comes to the type of learner they are. I would ask questions including: What do you see as your academic strengths? What are some of your challenges? What are your academic goals? How do you learn best? What makes learning challenging for you? Once I have a stronger sense of who they are and how they see themselves as learners, I can then transition us to looking at the content together and start working through areas where they need support.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
B.A. English and Sociology, Fairfield University
M.Ed. Secondary English Education, Boston College (Donovan Scholars Program)
Ed.D. Leadership in Urban Schools, UMASS Boston
National Board Certification in English
I hold MA educator licenses in: English (grades 8-12) English as a Second Langauge (grades 5-12), Administrator Principal/Assistant Principal
I was a 12th grade English teacher up until this past spring. I am now the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for my school.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
$65/hour for lessons.
How did you get started teaching?
I had an internship working at a local high school when I was in college. This turned me on to teaching because I found that I became energized when working with teenagers because they bring a curiosity for learning. Once I began to figure out how to spark student interest, I have found more often than not, students teach me a great deal more than I could ever teach them. This has what kept me in education for so long--going in to work each day knowing that I'm always going to learn something new from my students.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with all types of learners including: gifted students, students with disabilities, English learners, and general education students. I have worked with students ranging in age from 14-22.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Depending on the needs of the student, I would advise students to look at a candidate's experience first to make sure it aligns with the area(s) they are looking for support. Because tutoring is often done one-on-one, creating a strong relationship right from the start is very important to making progress. I would advise a student if he/she identifies a potential candidate to arrange an initial conference call and prepare 3-5 questions to ask them to see if the match is a good fit. These questions should be ones that the student identifies as most important for him/her to make a decision. If after the initial call the student feels like they would be comfortable working with the teacher, schedule a trial one hour tutoring session to see if the teacher is a good fit.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
I would suggest students ask themselves the following questions:
1. What are my academic goals for: the school year? the next two years? by the end of my senior year?
2. What are my commitments for this coming school year? How much time will I spend outside of school on my academics while balancing extracurricular activities?
3. What are my academic areas of strength? What are my areas of weakness? Within the areas of weakness, where am I looking to grow the most this year?