Experience Summary
Since I was a bookworm who spent most of my time in libraries as a kid, it was only natural I became an English major. I fell in love with words and began winning writing contests in grade school. From fourth grade through high school, I served as editor/reporter/columnist for school publications. After my B.A. I freelanced for several Los Angeles publications while doing stints as editor for separate publishing companies. These experiences taught me to devise shortcuts to meet deadlines I pass on to students.
A hunger for knowledge and a desire to teach sent me to graduate school, later than most, which makes me sensitive to and appreciative of returning older students. Although I may have been a late bloomer, teaching is a passion of mine, so the enthusiasm and excitement for the students’ progress I bring are as formidable as my skills in language arts and literature.
Teaching Style
My primary goal is always student empowerment. Students who can solve problems by themselves will be able to learn just about anything. For example, a student who doesn’t know a noun from a verb won’t be able to correct run-on sentences or fragments. Introduce students to the mechanics, define tools, show them models, then put the hammer and nails in their hands, and watch them build.
Lessons have to be customized to accommodate the students’ varied learning styles and levels of knowledge. Because most students have been shaped by media, a variety of approaches and stimuli is needed. A sure recipe for failure is lecturing or throwing material at a student without preparation.
That means good teaching, just like learning, involves LISTENING. Tutoring also means immediate reinforcement that builds confidence. If a student voices interest in attempting a poem, collage, or story, it raises the learning experience to another level.