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K-12 Reading/Writing/SAT/ACT/IELTS/ESL/Coll. App/Job INT/Writing coach
Tim C.

4.8 (1,479 ratings)

9,447 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $43
Contact Tim
Response time: 1 hour
Tim C.'s Photo

K-12 Reading/Writing/SAT/ACT/IELTS/ESL/Coll. App/Job INT/Writing coach
K-12 Reading/Writing/SAT/ACT/IELTS/ESL/Coll. App/Job INT/Writing coach
Tim C.

4.8 (1,479 ratings)

9,447 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
4.8 (1,479 ratings)

9,447 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

About Tim

Bio

My teaching experience spans 32 years and I am currently ranked in the top five in the country on Wyzant's platform. As a tutor, my goal is to turn students' weaknesses into strengths and enable them 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...

My teaching experience spans 32 years and I am currently ranked in the top five in the country on Wyzant's platform. As a tutor, my goal is to turn students' weaknesses into strengths and enable them 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 be connected and cogently expressed. So there are no shortcuts to success, but the rewards are many.

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 ask to see 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.

Read more

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

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $43
  • Rate details: I will consider special rates for groups. If I have to travel outside Fremont and Union City, between 15 and 20 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

Corporate Training

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.
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.
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.

Elementary Education

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.
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!
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.

English

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.
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.
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.
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.
Literature

History

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.

Homeschool

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.
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.
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.
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.

Language

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.

Most Popular

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.
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!
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.
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.

Other

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.
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.

Special Needs

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.

Summer

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.
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!
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.
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.

Test Preparation

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.
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).

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

4.8 (1,479 ratings)
5 star
(1,266)
4 star
(151)
3 star
(26)
2 star
(11)
1 star
(25)

Reviews

Great SAT READING tutor - highly recommend

My son was lagging with SAT Reading score. I looked up everywhere to find a good tutor and glad we found Tim. Tim taught my son SAT Reading and in two months of 1-1 classes, my son's confidence level in Reading increased by leaps and bounds. I would highly recommend Tim for SAT Reading.

Suresh, 11 lessons with Tim

Wise, patient and raises the bar!

Tim listens to ME! He recognizes and hones in on the deficits and fosters development and enrichment. Just what the doctor ordered. Trust me on this. Thank you Tim!

Claire, 32 lessons with Tim

Familiar with SAT tutoring

My daughters is excited about their first meeting and trust she has a great tutor who can really help her get perfect scores in all areas of the SAT in march. I am happy to finally schedule a productive session with Tim , He is a had to get a session with because he is always fully booked. Thank you for helping my family TIM !

Patience, 40 lessons with Tim

PSAT Reading

Tim went over the reading strategies. Identified the common mistakes my son is making. Looking forward to applying them on the next set of passages and correct those mistakes. Thanks Tim!

Subba, 3 lessons with Tim

Great teacher!

After 1 year of pandemic, I saw that my son needed some help on ELA when his grade started lowing gradually at school. Luckily we found Mr. Tim. He helped my son more confident in ELA, and his score went up again after Mr. Tim’s help. Finally, he got 97 percentile in the End of Grade exam. It’s beyond our expectation! We are so happy about that! Thanks a lot!

Tram, 14 lessons with Tim

He is a good writing teacher

My son is 9th grader and likes Tim's lesson. He gives helpful tips on my son's writings. It takes a lot of time for my son to write a short essay usually because he does not have many ideas. Tim helps my son organize his ideas.

Hyun, 10 lessons with Tim

Knowledgeable

Tim is knowledgeable in his area and does not waste a minute during session. The only reason I rate 1 star less is due to his rude behavior during sessions and sounds grumpy sometimes when asked questions

Sameer, 7 lessons with Tim

Big-time improvement in the SAT Reading section with Tim's help!

Our daughter was struggling with the reading section on the SAT. And yeah, questions can be very tricky. Tim was a fantastic tutor that helped her improve, big time. The first time she took the SAT, our daughter got 14 questions wrong. The second time? Only 3 wrong. That made a huge difference and helped her SAT score go from 1,400 to 1,530. Tim was very patient, explained the concepts and types of reading questions very well, and helped my daughter manage her time better. Thanks, Tim!

Rodrigo, 15 lessons with Tim

Great choice if you need your kid to be well prepared for college

I have nothing but good words to say about Tim as a tutor. Tim helped our son a lot to improve his English language and enter college. When we began our classes and didn’t know what to start with, Tim helped us to choose textbooks befitting our son's knowledge and needs. What I liked about Tim is that he was always very responsive and accommodative to my son's learning schedule. There were no problems rescheduling our classes and Tim never charged for the missed ones either. Tim was always punctual and kept my son busy with tasks at the classes. Which eventually gave a positive result at the tests. Great job!

Maryia, 125 lessons with Tim
Hourly Rate: $43
Response time: 1 hour
Contact Tim