Experience Summary
I have had over 20 years of classroom and tutoring experience with grades 7 to 12 and undergraduate students.
I have a current Florida teaching certificate for grades 6-12 and most of my teaching experience has been with middle and high school students. Subjects taught were English grammar, spelling, vocabulary, literature, writing and test prep. I tutored literature courses with American undergraduates and graduates during their semester abroad program at Oxford, England In recentlys past semesters, I have successfully tutored essay writing to undergraduates of our local state college.
Teaching Style
My tutorials are really dialogues with the students. I start by establishing a good working rapport based on my respect for that student’s individual intelligence. I motivate students by finding something in common between his/her own life and interests and the course topic we may be studying. Working on assignments with the student, I use the Socratic method to bring out his or her own best responses to the material. In further dialogue, I build his/her confidence by providing the tools that help articulate those responses as clearly as possible. These tools invariably include the best study and critical thinking skills needed to succeed in the course.
My Hobbies
Theater, travel, cooking, movies
Other Comments
I also specialize in online tutoring and work for both U.S. and Chinese agencies with a wide variety of students.
| ACT |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| I have only taught test preparation for the verbal part of the SAT in the U.S. but the majority of my teaching overseas has been in preparing students for United Kingdom regional and Oxford University entrance exams. |
| Composition |
 This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Expert
|
| I have had paid, professional writing experience which includes magazine articles, a short story, and a full-length book. |
| Creative Writing |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| My students have consistently had their poems and short stories published in regional and national competitions. |
| Dyslexia |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| Having completed a post-graduate course in Specific Learning Difficulties at the Hornsby International School for Dyslexia in London, England, my training has equipped me to diagnose individual learning disabilities and to create individualized education plans compatible with their learning style. |
| Elementary Reading |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| I have just completed a Florida teaching re-certification course entitled "Differentiated Reading Instruction", which qualified me to design courses for individual elementary and secondary students with reading difficulties in school. |
| English |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| See my comments for Language Arts. |
| FCAT |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| Please see my comment for ACT. |
| French |
Proficiency: I know the basics
|
| French was my minor during my undergraduate studies. I can teach elementary French at middle and high school levels, but no higher. |
| GED |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| Please see my comment for ACT. |
| Grammar |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| My classroom approach has been to make each of my students take the part of
a word in a sentence, identify him/herself, and explain how each of them is used in that sentence. In tutoring I would use the student and his/her family members and have the student explain his/her different roles with each family member. |
| Homework Help |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| I have done a considerable amount of after-school homework help in my capacity as special education teacher. |
| Language Arts |
This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Expert
|
| I have had over 20 years of teaching experience in English language, literature, essay and creative writing at middle school, high school, and college levels. |
| Literature |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| I have an M.A. in English & American Literature and have taught a wide variety of authors at all levels from middle school to college |
| Poetry |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| I use visual, hands-on mini-projects to make this subject come alive. |
| Reading Comprehension |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Over th years of my teaching experience, I have developed a battery of effective study questions, essays, and hands-on assignments and projects that make poetry more accessible to students. |
| SAT - Verbal |
|
| Please see my comments for ACT. |
| Shakespeare |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Having lived in Britain for several decades, I have attended the modern Globe Theatre in London and have access to a wealth of educational resources that organization has developed. |
| Special Education |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| See my comments on Dyslexia. |
| Spelling |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| See my comments on Dyslexia. |
| Study Skills |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| I have over 20 years worth of experience in teaching study tactics that shorten homework time for students. |
| Test Preparation |
This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Though I have only taught test preparation for the verbal part of the SAT in the US, the majority of my teaching overseas has been in preparing students for United Kingdom regional and Oxford University entrance exams. |
| Testing Skills |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Please see my comments for Test Preparation. |
| Writing |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Please see my comment for Composition. |
| Writing Skills |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Please see my comments on Composition. |