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K-12 Reading/Writing/grammar/SAT/ACT/TESL/Coll. app essays /Job INT
Tim C.

4.8 (1,716 ratings)

11,118 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $45
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Response time: 2 hours

About Tim

Bio

My teaching experience spans 34 years, and I am currently among the top tutors in the country on Wyzant's platform. My goal is to turn students' weaknesses into strengths and enable them to make the changes they need to achieve desired objectives in exam prep and in school coursework. I believe in guiding rather than instructing and by leading students on a path of discovery to learn, retain, and apply in order to avoid making the same mistakes twice. Students are responsible for their own...

My teaching experience spans 34 years, and I am currently among the top tutors in the country on Wyzant's platform. My goal is to turn students' weaknesses into strengths and enable them to make the changes they need to achieve desired objectives in exam prep and in school coursework. I believe in guiding rather than instructing and by leading students on a path of discovery to learn, retain, and apply in order to avoid making the same mistakes twice. Students are responsible for their own learning which means that hard graft is required to acquire a vocabulary base substantive to pass SAT and to improve their own writing. Secondly, reading comprehension strategies must be applied effectively and consistently to eliminate errors and realize one's full potential. Thirdly, accepting the importance of developing cohesion, coherence, and a varied sentence structure in essay writing, as well as building a structure that allows ideas to connect and be cogently expressed. There are no shortcuts to success and regular practice is essential.

I help students of all ages and professionals with their writing by suggesting how to improve the impact of their material as well as ways of improving how they express their ideas. Writing is a skill that needs constant practice and a thorough process of refining and reworking. I guide students through brainstorming, note taking, freewriting, researching, planning, drafting, revising, polishing, and proofreading. In addition, I also assist by proofreading completed drafts, providing feedback on work in process, and showing them how sophisticated vocabulary can improve the impact of their writing. I specifically request a sample of the student's writing to locate any problems and assess their current level of skills. I would then concentrate on building clarity of expression, the use of a sophisticated level of vocabulary, cohesion and coherence, and a sense of structure.

I look forward to working with you all.

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Education

Manchester Metropolitan University UK / BA Combined Studies Humanities
English Literature and Creative Writing
Academy International/Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFL)
Graduate Coursework
Canterbury Christ Church University/ MA in Teaching English as a Second Language
Masters
  • Licensed teacher

Additional Languages

French
Italian
Japanese

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $45
  • Rate details: I will consider special rates for groups. If I have to travel outside Fremont and Union City, more than 10 miles or more, the rate rises to $50.
  • Lesson cancellation: 24 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 2/27/2021

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

ACT English

ACT English

I have been helping students prepare for ACT tests for six years. By pinpointing students' needs, I am able to work with them to improve their weaker parts of their competencies, as well as reinforcing areas that they feel more confident in. Preparing for the ACT involves learning how to read and understand questions at speed, and having the reading strategies and skills and the grammar awareness to answer in the blink of an eye. It also involves a willingness to learn a significant amount of vocabulary which will also serve the student as a resource to be used later in life, at college and when hunting for work afterwards.
ACT Reading

ACT Reading

I have been teaching reading skills for more than 25 years and tutoring students for the specific demands of ACT reading for nearly six. ACT Reading has a different focus to that of ACT, which requires many of the same strategies has a different focus in terms of approach. Reading is essentially an interactive process in that students must actively engage with the text to understand it fully. This requires them to read proactively, predict and anticipate in order to utilize the skills they have acquired. It cannot be separated from vocabulary acquisition and both should ideally be learned in tandem if progress is to be made.
English

English

I have been teaching English language skills for 27 years, as an ESL professional. I can provide help with reading, writing, speaking and listening, vocabulary acquisition and study skills.
ESL/ESOL

ESL/ESOL

I can help with the teaching of English as a Second or foreign language to non-native speakers, who either immigrated to an English speaking country or have re-located there to study for academic purposes. Classes typically focus on the four main skills, reading, writing, speaking and listening, involving a high degree of participation from students who must use the language in order to become familiar with it. Private lessons for motivated individuals can explore each of these skill areas in depth with added bonus of having the tutor/teacher's undivided attention. I have experience of teaching all ages and abilities, from children to adult learners, at junior and high school, private language school and at university. I have taught general English, business English, and exam prep (FCE and IELTS), in the Middle East, Europe, the U.S.A and Asia.
European History

European History

I am originally from Europe and have a deep fascination with European History and interest in history in general. I can help students prepare thoroughly for their exams.
Grammar

Grammar

I have been teaching English for more than 26 years, which has included an intensive grammar focus incorporated into lessons on specific reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Grammar awareness is always intrinsic to my ESL teaching. My work would be incomplete if I neglected to focus on it because it is essential for students to to be aware of the grammar they use, when and how to use it in order to progress.
Literature

Literature

i have been tutoring students in literature for more than 15 years.
Proofreading

Proofreading

Proof reading is a precise skill and one that I have acquired through teaching writing for 22 years. I have that meticulous attention to detail that is required, so much so that when I read published fiction or non-fiction, I am constantly finding errors which should have been corrected at the final pre-publication stage.
Reading

Reading

I have been teaching reading strategies and reading comprehension skills for more than 20 years and I am confident that I can show you how to muster what can often seem elusive and mystifying. The approach to understanding a passage, whether it is from a science or humanities text, a piece of journalism or an extract from fiction needs to be fine tuned to be successful. I look forward to working with you. Let me be your guide!
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

SAT reading involves identifying the question type, focusing on the questions and mapping the text to locate the answer. When you think you have found the answer, always predict in your own words a possible answer before looking at the questions. This will help to anticipate the best answer. You will have to learn to read in a certain way and use your knowledge of vocabulary to answer accurately.
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

SAT Writing involves mustering the basics of the structure of composition, understanding and recognizing typical grammar errors, and utilizing a sophisticated level of vocabulary (in the essay section).
Spelling

Spelling

Spelling is an essential and integral part of learning English and a skill that must be monitored continuously in order to make progress. It is best learned in conjunction with reading and writing, so that new words can be acquired, learned and memorized according to the context in which they appear.
Study Skills

Study Skills

Having good studies means organizing meticulously and using time effectively. Having an MA in TESL and a BA in English indicates that I have proven study skills. Developing effective study skills requires organization, planning and prioritizing needs. I have been successfully tutoring students for eight years for exams such as SAT, ACT, TOEFL and IELTS, and teaching ESL for 25 years, which shows that I can enable students to plan their studies, work to deadlines, target weaknesses and make them into strengths, and follow through with feedback and encouragement.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

I have been teaching students how to learn, retain and use vocabulary as part of ESL studies for the past 25 years. Acquiring vocabulary is essential if students are to express themselves adequately and competently in another language. For native speakers preparing for SAT and ACT, I have also demonstrated the importance of learning vocabulary, which is a lifelong skill that can give students the confidence to express themselves, and lead them to be more successful in their academic and professional lives.
Writing

Writing

Acquiring effective writing skills is a something that can be learned by paying attention to basic skills and organizing a composition according to the structure of the conventional essay. Vocabulary acquisition is also a prerequisite as is reading, students need to read to acquire ideas and they must have a firm grasp of grammar in order to express their ideas. If they can learn the basics, a sense of style may emerge, but this is more difficult to teach as it is often intuitive.
Tim C.'s Photo

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Response time: 2 hours

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

4.8 (1,716 ratings)
5 star
(1,485)
4 star
(162)
3 star
(30)
2 star
(11)
1 star
(28)

Reviews

Highly Recommended! Tim is an excellent writing coach.

Tim has been a fantastic writing instructor for my son. He is a truly supportive and effective teacher who has helped him improve his writing in so many ways. Tim focused on the fundamentals from the very first lesson. He helped my son build confidence and provided valuable feedback, guiding him to strengthen his writing skills and express his ideas more clearly. Tim is great at helping him with all stages of the writing process, from brainstorming to the final draft. My son always has a positive experience, and he's made great progress under Tim's guidance. I highly recommend him as a tutor.

William, 57 lessons with Tim

English

He responds quickly and worked with my high schooler on summarizing chapters 1 to 3 of the book assigned in class. However, we felt that he may not be the best fit for my son’s needs.

Yunhee, 1 lesson with Tim

Down to earth and easy to work with tutor

Helped in identifying issues and offered insight on how to fix them. Very easy to work with and made classes stress free. 10/10 would recommend for english tuition or sat prep.

Ronak, 2 lessons with Tim

Knowledgeable and patient tutor

Tim made everything possible for my son to have a last session before his exam, even if it was for half an hour and a last-minute request. He is great at explaining and very patient. This is the second session with him and after the first one my son improved his grade already.

Ernestina , 4 lessons with Tim

Knowledgeable and Patient!

Tim has been an incredible reading tutor for my son as he prepares for the SAT. He is extremely patient, and knowledgeable, making each session productive and engaging. Thanks to Tim’s guidance, my son has grown much more confident in his reading skills. We’ve seen a huge improvement, and we’re so grateful for Tim’s help. Highly recommend!

Niecey, 7 lessons with Tim

superb and exceptional!

Tim helped me proofread my college admissions essay. Thanks to Tim, the essay turned out so well that I was very impressed. Tim's writing skills and coaching are superb and exceptional. He introduces himself as one of the top private tutors in America, and I realized that this is absolutely true. Thank you very much, Tim. I greatly appreciate it. I will definitely need your help again!

AK, 1 lesson with Tim

Greatest tutor

Great tutor for English tutor. Breaks down things if you don’t understand. Very patient. I would continue using his service. Very communicative and flexible. Somewhat affordable

Meenakshi, 50 lessons with Tim

Very knowledgeable, fun, and thorough teacher.

I had a great experience during my time with Tim. His explanations were clear and easily understandable, and he was very patient and fun. He was very well-informed about all English conventions, both reading and writing. He helped me improve drastically and I greatly recommend him.

Hrishi, 29 lessons with Tim

Amazing tutor, very knowledgeable teacher!

Tim has been teaching my kids for almost three years. He is a very knowledgeable tutor, with a lot of experience. Helped my kids improve their ELA and prepare for important tests like SHSAT and SAT. He is very patient and overall an amazing teacher.

Cristina, 143 lessons with Tim

Excellent writing tutor

My son has been working with Tim for the past 3 years to improve his writing skills He is an excellent tutor who has helped my son to improve his skills. Tim explains every single detail with lots of patience. I would really recommend him.

Arunadevi, 26 lessons with Tim
Hourly Rate: $45
Response time: 2 hours
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