All of
Ruth’s current tutoring subjects are listed at the left. You
can read more about
Ruth’s qualifications in specific subjects below.
Business
My Masters Degree form Cal State Los Angeles is in Business Education, along with an undergraduate minor in business. My classes included accounting, finance, marketing, advertising, business communications, computer applications, management, business law, etc.
I then taught business courses at the high school level for approximately 15 years: these included accounting, marketing, business law, management, keyboarding, word processing and other computer applications.
I also have set up and run two small businesses of my own, each with its own accounts and bookkeeping.
Cooking
I have taken classes in cooking all my life, from microwave to professional baking classes. I spent several years as a personal chef and caterer.
What I enjoy most is teaching others how to make the simple, wholesome food they'd like to cook for themselves and others. Many times cookbooks use terms like "folding," "water bath," "basting," and others that beginners simply don't understand. Just having someone take them through those steps, demonstrating the principles, and giving them the opportunity to practice can make a huge change in their confidence.
I can teach soups, roasts, poultry, casseroles, pasta dishes, eggs, quiches, brunch items,quick breads and yeast breads, desserts, pies, cakes, and cookies. We can also discuss bar-b-que techniques and have bar-b-que classes.
We can go through recipes together, with me demonstrating the proper way to measure liquids, sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder or baking soda.
I am open to teaching items that I often cook myself or helping someone with a new recipe from a cookbook.
I can recommend cookbooks that will be helpful. We can also shop together for ingredients so that I can teach the client how to choose produce, meat, and dairy products.
Desktop Publishing
As part of my Master Degree in Business Education at California State University Los Angeles, I took a course in Desktop Publishing and had to reach a level of proficiency in order to pass that course. I also took several workshops at local community colleges. After that, I taught semester courses in Desktop Publishing at Beverly Hills High School and at Sierra Vista High School, as well as covering it as one topic in a course I taught at Pasadena City College. We used Photoshop and Microsoft publisher.
Desktop publishing covers placement for balance, use of white space, appropriate use of font style, font size and color, captions, headings, borders, pictures and clip art placement. It might include one page flyers, trifold brochures, multipage brochures, postcards, banners, greeting cards, and other specialized documents. An emphasis would be placed on balance, focus, and clarity within the document.
Elementary (K-6th)
I have tutored many elementary students in English language skills. I have also helped them with reading and understanding their assignments in history and science and lower level math. I worked with a third grade student through the end of the 5th grade. We went over grammar exercises, spelling lists, and writing assignments. I also oversaw projects in science, history and English, as well as helping him study math. I currently tutor a 6th grade student in an advanced program at a private school. I help him with vocabulary, grammar, history assignments, and critical reading. In addition, I tutor another 6th grade student and his younger brother who is in the third grade. Both of these boys are limited English students. Again, I oversee their school work in English - grammar, spelling, writing, critical reading, and I help with their assignments in science and history.
These early grades focus a great deal on grammar, punctuation, reading comprehension, and writing. As an English major and retired English teacher, I am very experienced with those areas.
I adjust my tutoring to the age level of the student. We change activities frequently to help students stay focused. I also use word games to practice English skills.
I have been very successful in helping these younger students improve their skills and feel confident about their abilities.
I have a bachelor's degree in English. For that degree I took classes in English, science (biology, geology, astronomy, psychological physiology), psychology, social science, speech, political science, math (algebra, geometry, trigonometry), Spanish, and other electives. This gives me the broad background that is required in teaching at the elementary level.
Microsoft Access
In my Masters program for Business Education at California State University Los Angeles, I was required to show proficiency in Microsoft Access. I took a course in Microsoft Office and was tested at length on Access. In addition, I taught Access at both Beverly Hills High School and Sierra Vista High School. Students were given a project in Microsoft Word to create a survey, then required to set up a database with their data from the survey. They then had to set up queries to answer research questions.
Students would learn to set up a data file, choose fields that are relevant to the purpose of the file, be taught how to edit, add or delete those fields, enter records, change records, delete or add records, run queries, sort, limit criteria for a sort or query, and print.
Microsoft Publisher
As part of my Masters in Business Education program at California State University Los Angeles, I was required to learn to use Microsoft Office Publisher in connection with desktop publishing. I had to pass a proficiency exam on this in order to complete this computer course. Since that time, I have used Publisher to teach classes in desktop publishing at Beverly Hills High School and at Sierra Vista High School. In addition I have used it for my own benefit in several small companies that I owned. I created trifold brochures, flyers, menus, and postcards for those businesses.
The material would cover a multitude of areas, which include the following: use of templates, use of WordArt,font styles and their appropriate uses, use of clipart, use of drawing features, grouping, moving, copying, insertion of graphics from other files and from the internet, borders (both line borders and art borders)brochures, flyers, postcards, labels, headers and footers, and general desktop publishing concepts.
Phonics
As part of my teaching credential program at California State University Los Angeles, I was required to take classes on the teaching of reading, which included phonics.
During my years at Mountain View High School, I taught remedial reading classes at the freshman level, using a program called Formula Phonics.
I have also tutored young students and ESL students by using phonics workbooks.
Public Speaking
My undergraduate degree required a course in Public Speaking. As a teacher and department chair, I have been called upon many times to perform presentations and to judge the presentations of others. In English classes that I have taught in El Monte and Walnut, public speaking and presentation skills were part of the course outline.
The public speaking material would cover stance, eye contact, voice fluctuation, energy and enthusiasm in presentation, diction, and pronunciation. In addition, the logical development of ideas and clarity of expression would be a major source of instruction.
SAT Reading
I have worked successfully with many students to improve their SAT scores. One student went from a 6 on the essay to a 10; another raised his written response score by 150 points.
The key is in concentrated work on the SAT practice tests. We go over critical reading together, discussing a speedier approach to assessing which questions to answer first and which to save for last. I sometimes suggest a very shorthand notetaking of paragraphs to increase memory and focus on long readings. Many of the complicated longer readings are actually easy to answer because the questions may not center on the subject matter as much as on vocabulary or author's tone.
I have several methods for working on the vocabulary part of the SAT. It is essential to notice keywords like "although," "despite", "along with" which indicate whether you need to look for a synonym or antonym. We also keep a list of unknown words that arise out of the SAT work and study those regularly. Roots and prefixes are another way to decipher new words.
The grammar section is one of my specialties. I have many exercises available to work on the various areas that may trip students on the test: parallel structure, diction, verb/subject agreement, tense agreement, pronoun use, etc.