I am a Rutgers University faculty member, professional editor, and published writer with thirty years of teaching experience. I have a B.A. from Vassar College in Drama and Literature, and a Ph.D. from Rutgers in Modern British Literature. I have taught at SUNY/New Paltz, The New School for Social Research, Mercer County Community College, and Rutgers where I have taught in their acclaimed Expository Writing Program and their Creative Writing Program. While a graduate student, I worked with Nancy Sommers, former Sosland Director of Expository Writing at Harvard, to develop the New Jersey Center for Research on Writing. While working there, I developed a series of teacher-training workshops and traveled across the state conducting seminars detailing the pedagogical strategies based on our research. I have also published award-winning articles on composition, revision, and the creative writing process. Along with my work at Rutgers, I also work part-time as an admissions interviewer for Vassar and as Vice President and Senior Editor of the Philip Lief Group, an internationally renowned book producer. As a feature writer, novelist, and essayist, I have published in over 30 publications, both scholarly and popular. I bring aspects of all of these experiences to my teaching.
About my teaching strategies: I am interested in helping middle school, high school and university students succeed in all aspects of academic writing. I use a personalized approach and guided practice using research-based techniques. I work one-on-one with the student to streamline the writing process so that he or she can better understand what the assignment is asking, brainstorm and choose an appealing response to the topic, and find connecting ideas in the student’s response to the assignment. Emphasis is placed on improvement in the following areas: formal organization, use of evidence including identifying supporting details, analyzing short passages, and writing summaries; paragraph coherence and transitions; clarity and correctness at the sentence level; and the development of an “internal” reader so as to eliminate the need for a tutor. I am able to tutor students in the following areas: college application essays; SAT, ACT, and PSAT essays; AP exam essays; personal response essays; research-based essays; analytic essays; persuasive essays; and compare and contrast essays. I have a special interest in helping students with their college application essays (see below).
Nothing gives me greater pleasure than helping a student succeed. When I hear a student say, “I don’t need your help any more,” I feel I have done my job well. Because every student is unique, I tailor my teaching approach to each student’s needs. I have also worked with students with different learning styles, including dyslexic students and students with ADHD, and because my teaching strategies are flexible, I am able to accommodate all kinds of learners and to ensure that they meet with success.
Please feel free to contact me with questions and concerns. I look forward to working with you!
IMPORTANT: My cancellation policy is 48 hours in advance of our scheduled appointment. Otherwise, you will be charged for the class. Unfortunately, I am not able to make exceptions. Typically, I find that the greatest gains are made when a student schedules weekly or bi-weekly meetings at a regular hour and for a minimum of four to six meetings.
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