High School/College Instructor--College Essays, Writing, ESL

Dear students,
Do you want to be a better writer and reader? Improve your skills or your grades? Write a winning college admissions essay? I’m here to help. For the past 15 years I have been teaching writing, reading, and English as a Second Language at the college and graduate level and tutoring middle and high school students.

What sets me apart as a tutor is that I understand how to meet you where you are. I can help you figure out what you need to advance successfully. Everyone has great ideas--and so do you--but writing well requires skill to move from creative chaos to compelling prose. Through drafting, revising, and organizing, you can improve your mastery, your confidence and your grades one step at a time. When reading, even the hardest text can be decoded with effective strategies. My teaching style is engaged, interactive and individually focused.

As a private tutor, I’ve worked extensively with high school students helping them write college essays that will “wow” college admissions counselors. How do you create an essay that stands out in the crowd? By showing them how amazing you are, and showing what makes you the absolutely right student for them. At Brandeis University and Gordon College, I have taught undergraduates, graduates, and high school students to write and read effectively. Whether preparing a college essay for that dream school of your choice or figuring out what the 9th grade teacher wants for an essay on Lord of the Flies or succeeding in 7th grade English, I have spent years guiding students through the writing process.

My background includes a master’s from Brandeis in English, a BA in English with Honors from Trinity College, and a career as a journalist and magazine editor. I look forward to working with you!

Nancy's Subjects

English:	ACT English, ACT Reading, Bible studies, English, ESL/ESOL, grammar, literature, proofreading, public speaking, reading, SAT reading, SAT writing, TOEFL, vocabulary, writing
Test Preparation:	ACT English, ACT Reading, college counseling, GRE, SAT reading, SAT writing, SSAT, TOEFL
Language:	ESL/ESOL, TOEFL
History:	American history, government & politics, religion, world history
Elementary Education:	grammar, reading, vocabulary
Business:	GRE, public speaking
Corporate Training:	college counseling, ESL/ESOL, grammar, proofreading, public speaking
Homeschool:	English, ESL/ESOL, reading, SAT reading, writing

American History

I've worked with students at the high school level in mastering history, from working with challenging texts, to conducting original research to writing essays for class. At the college level, I've worked with students in introductory and advanced classes, helping them write effective history papers analyzing complex and conflicting narratives and original sources. My background includes many years of study towards a Ph.D. in literature at Brandeis University where mastering history as a background... Read More

Vocabulary

I've been teaching English for 15 years and have developed the vocabulary of many students within specialized fields such as health care or business. I've also worked with students for whom English is not their first language in developing a working academic vocabulary for high school and college level work.

Grammar

At Brandeis University, as director of the English Language Program, I taught undergraduates, usually international, basic grammar structures as well as sentence creation, vocabulary building, and editing essays for clarity and fluency. I have a master's in English from Brandeis. At Gordon College, I taught grammar as part of first year writing to first year students.

Reading

I have taught English at the university level for over ten years and have taught reading comprehension to high school students and middle school students as a private tutor. I have attended professional workshops on developing effective reading strategies for improving comprehension and speed. My work with international students has also focused on inference, effective note-taking, and reading for evidence, critical steps toward building an analytical essay on a text.

Writing

I've been teaching writing to middle and high school students as well as at the college level for over 15 years. I've taught students one-on-one on essay writing, particularly in writing analyses of literature for high school and in writing that all-important college essay for applications. I've also taught writing in the classroom as a college professor for many years at all levels from developmental writing to advanced composition.

English

At I have taught English at the university level for over 15 years at Brandeis University, Gordon College, Wheelock College, and Pine Manor College. For the past decade, I have been tutoring students privately, at both the middle school and high school levels. At Brandeis University, I taught English to English language learners, both graduate and undergraduate, specifically focused on argumentative writing and reading comprehension. At Gordon College, I taught English at all levels from developmental... Read More

ESL/ESOL

As director of the English Language Program at Brandeis University for 6 years, I taught a wide range of courses for international students and new immigrants, both graduate and undergraduate students. I worked with international students entering Brandeis to strengthen their writing and oral skills to ensure their success in the classroom. I also worked extensively with undergraduates in first year writing course as well as with business graduate students at the International Business School... Read More

Government & Politics

At Brandeis, I taught writing courses to English language learners and native speakers using current political debate and news events, government policy and structures, to facilitate the writing of arguments for first year writing classes.

Literature

At Brandeis University, while earning my master's in English and preparing for a PhD, I spent many years studying the literature of both Britain and the US from the 17th century to the current day, with a particular focus on nineteenth century novels. I also studied women's literature and literature by writers of color and used these texts in my writing courses at Brandeis, Gordon College (where I was a professor) and at Wheelock and Pine Manor Colleges. I have extensive experience teaching literature... Read More

World History

Proofreading

For 15 years I worked as a professional journalist and magazine editor, positions that required extensive proofreading and the supervision of proofreaders. The goal of the sports magazines I directed as editor was to produce flawless copy each and every time. I also worked as a freelance proofreader for clients ranging from Harvard Business School professors to authors to publishing companies. I have taught citation styles to university students, both graduate and undergraduate, and am familiar... Read More

SAT Reading

I have taught English at the college level for many years: analytical writing, reading comprehension, vocabulary building, and grammar at Brandeis University and Gordon College, and also, most recently, at MIT and Mass College of Pharmacy. At the high school level, I have tutored students in SAT prep, both writing and reading, how to write a winning college essay, and how to succeed in their English classes. I have also spent years teaching students from other countries working on improving their... Read More

SAT Writing

I have been teaching writing at the college level for over 15 years at all level at Brandeis University and Gordon College, and more recently at MIT and Mass College of Pharmacy. I have also taught SAT prep, both reading comprehension and writing to high school students, as well as test taking strategies.

TOEFL

As director of English as. Second Language at Brandeis University, I taught international students and non-native speaking American students how to advance their fluency and proficiency in English. I taught classes and provided one-on-one tutoring for a wide range of students from graduate students preparing research or teaching labs or working on an MBA to undergraduates writing analytical essays, improving their reading comprehension, or honing their listening and speaking skills. I have also... Read More

ACT English

As a college professor and high school tutor, I have worked extensively with high school students to improve their English skills in writing, grammar, vocabulary acquisition, and reading comprehension in preparation for taking the ACT and SAT. I have also tutored students in how to write a winning college essay, how to improve their analysis of high school literature, and how to understand assignments and develop the right skills to improve their grades.

Religion

I majored in religion at Trinity College, Hartford, with a senior thesis on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and a oral exam on Karl Barthes. I studied Biblical Studies for a year in England, and I taught, college level, at a Christian college (Gordon College in Wenham) for six years in courses that required a knowledge of religion. As the director of Writing Across the Curriculum, I helped create syllabi and assignments for 40 instructors using biblical materials. Raised as a Christian, I have spent 15 years... Read More

Bible Studies

I have an undergraduate degree in religion, focused my senior thesis on Christian theologians, studied Biblical studies in England for a year, and taught for six years at a Christian college, including courses that relied on biblical texts.

Public Speaking

As director of the English Language Program at Brandeis University for six years, I taught public speaking to international undergraduates, to teaching assistants leading labs in the sciences, and to business students preparing for job interviews and presentations to clients.

College Counseling

As a private tutor for the past 10 years, I have been tutoring students in high school on how to improve their writing skills and reading comprehension. In that capacity, I have regularly counseled students on how to write admission-ready essays that reflect the student's breadth and mastery as well as communicate the particular character of the applicant so as to help them present him- or herself as an excellent match for particular schools. As director of the English as a Second Language Program... Read More

Read all subject qualifications »

Education

Trinity College (Hartford, CT) Brandeis University (Master's)

Hourly Fee

Standard Hourly Fee: $75.00

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Nancy will travel within 20 miles of Lexington, MA 02421.

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