Christin L.

Hi! I am a literacy tutor volunteer at a local library. I'm enjoying it so much, I decided to pursue teaching as a career. In 2009 I graduated with a BA in History from Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey.
As a homeschooled student, I am innovative and can tailor lesson plans and curriculum to fit each student's specific needs and goals. I try to make learning as fun as possible; using visual aides, art and cartoons to boost memory retention.
My specialty is ESL- my current students are native Spanish speakers. Since I am currently pursuing Spanish as a second language, I relate very well to the difficulties of acquiring another language as an adult learner. I have a very good grasp of English grammar and phonics but I am also interested in a wide variety of subjects from science to literature to history.
My latest passion is learning to speak Spanish fluently; before that it was Latin, then chemistry, biology and physiology. An avid reader with a broad range of interests, I love to share what I have learned.

Christin's Subjects

Math:	prealgebra
Music:	piano, violin
English:	English, ESL/ESOL, grammar, proofreading, reading, vocabulary, writing
Language:	ESL/ESOL, Latin
Special Needs:	phonics
Elementary Education:	grammar, phonics, reading, vocabulary
Corporate Training:	ESL/ESOL, grammar, Latin, proofreading
Homeschool:	English, ESL/ESOL, piano, prealgebra, reading, writing

Latin

Latin has long been one of my pet projects; I have a penchant for languages and Latin was my first serious endeavor. I completed three years of this brain-teaser. It is orderly yet provokingly difficult. There are 78 different verb-endings and 50 noun-endings to be memorized - some of which overlap - not to mention irregulars. The benefits are substantial however; I have found Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Spanish and English vocabulary and grammar to be easier because of the hours... Read More

English

I never appreciated how hard English was until I taught it as a second language; it has always been easy for me. I'm sure my Mom is mainly responsible for this by stocking our house with a great selection of books then reading them to me on a daily basis for years (I was homeschooled).
This constant barrage of correct English was later supplemented with three years of intense grammar coupled with the Latin language. When teaching, I make sure the student has access to a good supply of books... Read More

Phonics

I have found phonics to be very useful not only for young, struggling readers but as a powerful tool for English language learners. Over the past year, I have tailored phonics programs for some of my students based on their individual needs. My first phonics student was a native Spanish speaker. She especially liked the vowel drills because they allowed her to concentrate on their pronunciation in English which is very different from Spanish. The basic idea is simple: there are only a certain... Read More

Piano

My Mom taught me to play the piano starting at age 7 using the Suzuki method. I continued through the books to Volume 5 and then went on to study other works for variety. I am most comfortable with beginner through intermediate piano students.

ESL/ESOL

My experience for teaching ESL began when I volunteered as a literacy tutor. As an adult language learner, I relate very well to the psychological and grammatical challenges of learning a second language. I have a thorough knowledge of English and a lot of patience. If you have ever tried to say something in English and felt like your brain froze at that instant, I am well acquainted with the feeling.
I try to make learning as painless and useful as possible. One of my vocabulary exercises... Read More

Violin

I have been playing violin since age 3 1/2, steadily memorizing Suzuki method books from volume 1-7. For five years I participated in weekly Suzuki workshops. A few of the workshop leaders were Liz Arbus, Margaret Shimizu and Cheryl Scheidemantle. During that time, I also attended the yearly Suzuki Institutes held at Occidental College in California. Since then, I have progressed to Volume 9 and learned a large repertoire of church and wedding music, performing for weddings and special events... Read More

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