literature Articles

There are many reasons that teachers and tutors give for teaching. Typical reasons include the joy of seeing students learn. While this is certainly the case for me as well, an even more important reason to me was to help students see that they are WAY more capable than teachers and peers have told them. I believe that failure in school is much more complicated than "I am smart" or "I am dumb". Repeated failure and frustration convinces students that they are stupid. This belief imprisons them. I tutor and teach to empower students. Every step of the way I show them HOW to learn. We calmly discuss, back-and-forth, how to approach the problem or subject. By going through this exercise, the student begins to see proof that his/her new approach empowers them and makes excellence possible.

I see tutoring as a golden opportunity to start your own little school---and help students learn the material (of course), but learn also how to play to their own strengths even in subjects they may be weak in. You see, as little children (pre-school age) every child is curious and eager. By restoring students to this eagerness, they see that they are highly capable. It undoes some of the damage that so many schools and peers have brought on students that aren't succeeding. My students do succeed---because I show them how they have it within themselves to succeed, and arming them with strategies. I have to tell you, each time a student reaches that level, it is like launching a rocket to the moon. Thrilling, overwhelming, rewarding, and far-reaching. Oh, don't hesitate! Help people that feel like failures feel like winners. The world becomes a bit brighter with each new star, doesn't it?

Writing a theme paper? A research paper? Maybe an essay? Well, don't panic just yet. Here are some basic tips for any project/assignment that requires structured writing.

Brainstorm - Toss those ideas, words, phrases, questions in the basket and then...

Outline! - Your project should follow an outline, this will help you stay on topic as you write.

Narrow your scope to 3 points of interest, 3 ideas or 3 subjects to compare, argue, etc.

It's a conversation,
Hello - Introduction
Conversation topic - Body
Goodbye - Summary

Consider your audience - Can a novice or amateur on this topic make sense of your information? Proofread
Do the paragraphs expound on the topic sentence?
Does the paper transition well from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph, and topic to topic?

Transitional Devices Choose your words as an 'educated person'

Thesaurus- use it! Refrain from slang or common language, and writing in 1st person (I, me, my, mine)
Example - Don't: I like cats because they are interesting.
Example - Do: One may prefer cats for their challenging personalities.

Sleep on it. After you think you have done your best, sleep on it. Then after a while, hopefully one day at least, read it again, and try looking at what you have done from someone else's perspective.

Site your references! You want to give credit where it is due, so make certain to list your sources.
MLA Guide

Enjoy your writing, take some pride in your work, and do your best. Writing is a learned skill and does take some time and effort to develop. Accept any criticism with an open mind, and LEARN from your mistakes. Even the best writers need room for improvement.

Sometimes, it is essential to provide students with additional perspectives, besides the tutor's. As I tutor more and more, I realize that even with the one-on-one benefits of tutoring, there is a need for interaction with other students. However, the problem is, there are no other students to provide this feedback when you are tutoring a student. I have found that creating relationships with other students is a remarkable enhancement to the tutoring experience.

I have used Pen Pals to meet this need. There are a variety of websites that offer pen pals for different purposes. If I am tutoring a student in Social Studies, Geography or History, a Pen Pal is an amazing resource for FREE and REAL information about the study topics. This is usually an exciting concept that is well-received by the student because they thrive with interactions with others and they think it's amazing to connect with people like them all around the world! Using the right resources for this is essential, so I suggest that tutors spend some time locating the right program for their needs. Usually, those that are dedicated to teachers offer the most security and less potential for spam and unwanted leaks of information to the Web. Additionally, these sites allow the tutor more access to hand-picking the pen pals for their needs. The greatest benefit for this type of tutoring lesson is the ability to focus on the writing skills of the student while not needing to create writing assignments for the sake of writing! This makes the students more likely to give their effort to their tasks AND it allows the tutor to challenge the student to become eloquent in their writing efforts because it is directed at a "friend". I encourage tutors to give this a try in Foreign Languages, Writing, History and Social Studies, ESOL... actually, the possibilities are endless! I'd love to know how YOU are using Pen Pals in your tutoring!

Perhaps you are a student and, for whatever reason, you find yourself stuck in a mold of defeat. What are you to do? You don't want to fail all your classes--that wasn't your goal when you woke this morning. However, here you are: unmotivated, feeling left behind, stuck in a rut.

The one thing you have going for you is that if you do show some interest and express this interest (as meek as it may be) to the teacher, your teacher will take notice of that. Teachers are hungry for students who show interest in their lessons. As a teacher, I had a student in your shoes--to whatever degree you are in those shoes. She was failing every class because traditional testing and traditional methods of teaching were the norm at this school and this wasn't reaching her understanding or interest. This student became so used to failing and being seen as a problem case that she just resigned to it. At times, wore it as the only badge of honor she had. After all, the tests and teaching wasn't that interesting anyhow? Right?

What I did as a visiting teacher for 4 months was provide student choice projects to express learning. So, for instance, instead of a traditional quiz on the topic of tone in a story, I allowed students to build, construct, or write about tone. This particular student chose to construct something. And boy, did she build. She built the entire inside and outside of a house in one of the stories down to every detail. It blew me away and she became on fire in her learning even in what use to be boring and difficult for her.

So what can you as a student do to break the mold when your teacher isn't offering any? Ask your teacher yourself about doing a specific alternative project. Be pro-active. What are you good at? Could you make a video? Write a song? Construct something? Keep it to the subject at hand but make it real to you and your gifts and talents.

What if the teacher says no? Some teachers are so stuck in their ways, they may not let you do this. You can still do the project on the side. Use it to bring out your creativity and understanding. Then, try to translate what you learned into the format of what you are being asked to use. You will need this adaptive skill in job searching, career creation, and on the job no matter what your career.

If you are a teacher, realize that teaching is changing. You cannot stick to only traditional methods and reach all your students the way you desire to. Offer more student choice projects as a form of assessment beyond the tests and worksheets. You'll then witness the most challenged students soar and even become more willing to learn the traditional forms too!

Hello,

I am here to help you. If you need to brush up on your writing skills, grammar, or reading skills...I am here for you. Together, we can get rid of your weaknesses and emphasize your strengths. You do not have to dread doing your homework alone, or not succeeding in the classroom.

I am here to help you. I want to do everything I can to make you the success you want to be. I will give you the one-on-one help that is sometimes difficult for the teacher to achieve in the classroom. Working hard and putting forth your best efforts will help us to achieve the success you desire.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks!