Tutoring By Mrs. Maria

Tutoring By Mrs. Maria

5.0(3 reviews)

About

Most of my students notice my friendliness and welcoming personality straight away. Also, because I look far younger than my age, several of my pupils are better able to open up to me and quickly become comfortable such that any resistance to receiving help or reluctance to reveal their struggles melt away. Parents, on the other hand, tend to notice my casual dress, warm smile, professional demeanor, and eagerness to help.

I currently work at Northern Virginia Community College, which is the most ethnically diverse campus in the state of Virginia. Over the past 6 years, I have had the pleasure and honor of working with students from all over the world who speak a wide variety of languages, practice a broad assortment of religions, and have had experiences that are quite different from my own. Because of them, I have been exposed to and learned very interesting things I would not have otherwise known. My students, in addition to keeping me young, keep me curious about what is going on in the world.

When working with students, my professional goals include improving academic performance, raising grades, teaching and polishing reading and writing skills, and boosting self-confidence.

Nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing a student understand a concept, work a problem on their own, get an answer correct, be accepted to their top choice school, or get a good grade on an assignment for the first time once we begin working together. With each gain, success, or bit of personal growth, I celebrate along with my students as they develop skills, form habits, and work toward their goals. I strongly believe that I was born to inspire young people to have a passion for the English language, literature, reading, and writing just as I do.


Highlights

Hired 1 time
1 employee
11 years in business
Serves Lorton , VA

Social media


Reviews

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KC

Kim C.

Maria is very conscientious, timely and communicative with our son and us. She is adaptable to our needs, changing school curriculum, homework assignments, etc. Her personality allows our son to relate to her but when he gets off track she easily pivots to firmly rein him back on task.
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May 22, 2019

LK

Linda K.

Maria balances instruction and learning with positive encouragement. My daughter feels more confident about her math and english skills and willing to try more advance subjects
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May 18, 2019

GP

Genny P.

Maria has been amazing with my 8th grader for Algebra 1. My child’s confidence, her grades and her attitude have all benefited from Maria. We are so lucky to have found her.
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May 18, 2019

Frequently asked questions

The first session typically begins with a get-to-know me conversation, whether with the adult student alone or parent and child together. During this chat, my goals are to create rapport with the student and/or parent(s) and get more information about how I can be of assistance.

Specifically, I usually share a story about my own academic struggles throughout my schooling that seem similar to the new student's and reveal the steps that were taken at one or two junctures that helped me. Next, I ask questions to learn the grade level of the student, which subject(s) the student is struggling with and how the problems are manifesting, and what goals the student and/or parent(s) want. Once this 10-15 minute talk is over, I spend the next 35 to 40 minutes with the student to see graded assignments, make a list of overdue work, look at their binders to assess organization skills, ask about their workload, how they feel school is going, etc. Lastly, with my newfound knowledge of the real situation at hand, I will talk with the student and/or parents again for the remaining 5 to 10 minutes to recommend a tutoring frequency I feel would be most beneficial in the short-run. Then, we find days and times that are mutually agreeable and set up at least the first week's sessions.

I, March of 2019, I graduated with distinction (GPA 3.888) from National University where I earned an M.A. in English with a concentration in Gothic Studies. I also hold a B.A. in English from the University of North Florida, four A.S. degrees (General Studies, General Education, Legal Studies, and Digital Marketing), and 3 career studies certificates (Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and Public Relations).

Since 2012, I have been a professional tutor in the following subjects:

English (grammar, mechanics, writing; ESL/ESOL support)

German (beginner to intermediate; German 1 through IB German 5)

Math (pre-K through Algebra II)

I also provide educational coaching to students struggling with executive functioning skills including organization, studying, time management, task switching, and more to enhande their academic, career, and personal success.

SUBJECT TUTORING (English, German, Math)

All students at all levels = $50/hour

WRITING CONSULTING

College Application Essay Consultations = $75/hour

Resumes, CVs, & Cover Letters = $100/hour

One of my professors at NOVA noticed the consistent high quality of my writing and recommended that I apply for a job in the tutoring center. I submitted my resume and application, then went in for an interview a few days later. My now-former boss imediately asked me what schedule I wanted and I replied. Only when I had finished speaking did she laugh and say, "Oops, I forgot to offer you the job! In case it wasn't already painfully obvious, you're hired." I have been working there ever since and am about to celebrate my 6th year of employment with the school.

I have worked with students as young as 4 (my own child) to teach letters, numbers, counting, spelling, basic reading, and other basic skills. At present, about half of my freelance students are in middle school and need help with Algebra and Language Arts. The vast majority of my students so far have been at the community college level as I have worked with several thousand students over the years to improve their command of the English language to expand their vocabularies, polish their writing abilities, and generally encourage them to become better and stronger analytical writers and critical thinkers.

I have a middle school student with whom I have been working for nearly 3 years. At our first session, he was nervous, defused his anxiety with humor, and apologized for being disorganized and distractable. He was largely unable to perform most of the mathematics tasks in his homework assignments and was extremely frustrated to the point of hating school and being convinced that his teachers hated him.

Now, three years on, he is taking responsibility for his own academic performance, knows that his success or failure on quizzes and tests is largely up to his choice to study or not, has raised his grades in most classes to passing, and is better able to focus for long periods of time. He has become a respectful, driven young man with a previously unrecognized resilience and strong drive to do better. I am very proud of his progress.

Look for someone who lives near you. Face-to-face sessions are so much more engaging and helpful, in my opinion, as teacher and student can look at the same materials at the same time in real time and solve the issue at hand together. I find that getting to know a person and physically spending time with them produces a much stronger positive effect on academic performance. Of course, in-person lessons are not practical for everyone, but this is my strong preference as I have seen the results first-hand over my 7-year career in the field.

What does success look like to you? This question forms the rough basis of your goal(s). The best goals are ones that have the following characteristics

Specific -- detailed

Measureable -- easy to see results and take stock of them

Achievable -- most people could do it

Realistic -- within the realm of possibility

Time-bound -- short and long-term checkpoints are set up

Once your goal(s) is/are set, you will have a better idea of the specific kind of help you need.

Find a teacher whose techniques, teaching method, preferred mode (online, by phone, in person, etc.) or style seems to mesh with your own. Also, it is particularly helpful for non-native English speakers who are looking for ESL/ESOL assistance to have a tutor who speaks their native language. This allows for easy switching into and out of each language to facilitate understanding with little to no wasted time due to difficulties communicating.


Services offered

German
Esl
Literature