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Credentialed Teacher for Reading, Writing, Music, Bar Mitzvah and More
Claire B.

4.8 (16 ratings)

111 hours tutoring

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About Claire

Bio

(Please note that I will respond to any messages sent on a Friday eve or Saturday by Sunday afternoon.) I am a credentialed teacher with over 20 years of experience. I have an M.A. in Teaching from the University of Southern California (Multiple Subject/K-6) and a B.A. in Music, with a minor in Sociology, from Pomona College. I received a second M.A. in Jewish Studies from Indiana University's prestigious Borns Jewish Studies program. I have taught music lessons from age 3 to adults...

(Please note that I will respond to any messages sent on a Friday eve or Saturday by Sunday afternoon.) I am a credentialed teacher with over 20 years of experience. I have an M.A. in Teaching from the University of Southern California (Multiple Subject/K-6) and a B.A. in Music, with a minor in Sociology, from Pomona College. I received a second M.A. in Jewish Studies from Indiana University's prestigious Borns Jewish Studies program. I have taught music lessons from age 3 to adults privately, in public schools and after-school programs since 2002. As a substitute teacher in Los Angeles public schools, I taught primarily by request of the teacher or school in all subjects, pre-K to 6th grade, general and special education classrooms. Since 2014, I have mentored students in researching, writing and presenting unique cultural B Mitzvah (Bar and Bat Mitzvah) presentations, and can mentor students in reading Torah if requested.

For older teens and adults, I can help write personal statements, bios, and application essays, as well as prepare for the GRE; I enjoy helping others craft a statement that reflects their unique self. For all ages, I especially enjoy working with, supporting and celebrating the unique strengths of neurodivergent students.

No matter what the subject, my focus has always been on finding the unique strengths of each individual student, and building on those strengths to approach areas of struggle. I enjoy working with students with diverse learning styles and discovering the unique ways each student takes in and understands information. I firmly believe that everyone is smart in their own way, and I love to discover and appreciate each student's way of learning and thinking. I believe that we all construct our own knowledge through experience - we learn by doing, by experimenting, trying, and experiencing - and I encourage my students to try out and adjust their own strategies, instead of expecting them to do it my way.

I am an artist, writer, musician and Secular Humanistic rabbi.

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Education

Pomona College
Music
USC
Masters
Indiana University Bloomington
Masters

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $65
  • Rate details: $75/hr for online or in-person music lessons and $120/hr for online or in-person b'nai mitzvah tutoring
  • Lesson cancellation: 24 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 12/19/2013

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Elementary (K-6th)

Elementary (K-6th)

I have a CA multiple subject (K-6) credential and M.A. in Teaching. I have 6 years of experience as a classroom and after-school music teacher, integrating academic subjects and the arts in the elementary classroom, in grades K-5. As a substitute teacher in LAUSD I have taught all grades, pre-K through 6, implementing lessons in all subjects, and am familiar with the current Common Core curricula and strategies used by LAUSD schools in English Language Arts, Mathematics and English Language Development.
Elementary Math

Elementary Math

As a former substitute teacher in LAUSD, I am familiar with the materials, strategies, concepts and math vocabulary used in elementary math classrooms, including problem-solving and math discussion. I am familiar and comfortable working with all math subjects through pre-algebra, and I enjoy working with students to practice problem-solving strategies, develop their mathematical understanding, and increase their comfort level and interest in math through hands-on activities and real-life applications.
GRE

GRE

Within the past decade, I have scored a 170 on the GRE Verbal section, 5.5 (98th percentile) on the Analytical Writing, and 161 on the Quantitative section. I am happy to tutor any student in the Verbal and Analytical Writing sections, as well as students who (like myself) do not come from a math/science background on the Quantitative section.
Homeschool

Homeschool

As a teacher both in the classroom and in supplemental after-school programs for over 10 years, I have worked with a number of home-schooled families participating in enrichment programs in the arts and culture. As a result, I am familiar with many of the particular needs and interests of homeschooling families, including meeting the specific needs and interests of individual students, and a flexible, hands-on approach. I would be happy to work with homeschooling families to develop programs or supplement their learning in any subject to meet their specific needs.
Phonics

Phonics

As a credentialed teacher with 10+ years of experience in the classroom, I have practiced and developed a variety of strategies for supporting readers who are struggling with, or simply just beginning to learn, the basic skills of decoding written language. I pay attention to the needs of the learner, using kinesthetic (movement-based), visual and/or auditory approaches to identifying letter sounds, breaking down words into their smallest parts and putting them back together to develop fluency and comfort with the written word.
Reading

Reading

I am a credentialed teacher and avid reader. I am comfortable and experienced using a variety of strategies for helping students at all levels with both decoding (sounding out/recognizing written words) and reading comprehension, both in the classroom and one-on-one, and passed the RICA (Reading Instruction Competence Assessment). As a former substitute teacher in LAUSD with experience teaching in Pre-K through 6th-grade classrooms, I am familiar with Common Core "close reading" strategies. As a part of my general teaching philosophy, I believe that we understand what we read best when we connect it to our own experiences and look at the bigger picture of why we are reading. I help students connect to this bigger picture and make reading a meaningful experience.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

I have 7+ years of experience helping students prepare for the reading portion of the SAT. I help students improve their reading comprehension skills, as well as their familiarity with vocabulary and sentence structure. I help students increase their confidence in their reading abilities by building on their strengths, interests, and strategies that work well with their personal strengths and learning style, and am familiar with preparing students for the current digital SAT format.
Social Studies

Social Studies

As a credentialed teacher I am familiar with the social studies and history subjects taught in the elementary and middle school classroom; I also have an undergraduate minor in sociology and graduate-level training in qualitative research methods. I am conversant in and enjoy guiding students through discussions of how people live together in many diverse types of societies in different times and places. I particularly enjoy discussing with students of all ages how we can engage in civic participation in our own society, demystifying how our government and economy work and how we all play a part in them. As a facilitator and mediator I am also experienced in engaging in cross-cultural discussions and resolving conflicts that arise due to cultural misunderstandings. I have also written social studies-based curricula for all grade levels from pre-K through 8th grade.
Study Skills

Study Skills

With all of my students, regardless of the subject, I focus not only on the content they are learning, but on how they learn. Using methods I learned as a classroom teacher, I work with students to help them understand how they take in information best (verbally, visually or kinesthetically/"hands on"). I also work with students to develop effective and healthy study habits, such as finding the best location for them to work, having all necessary supplies ready, getting in the habit of doing a little bit of studying each day, and taking breaks to stretch, get a drink of water or otherwise make sure their body is in its best state for learning. Lastly, for students who are stressed or lack motivation, I set clear and achievable expectations for preparing for our next session, so my students can feel the confidence that comes from success and then gradually increase the challenge as their skills and self-confidence increase.
Violin

Violin

I have ten years of experience as a music teacher, including seven years during which I taught violin and viola to individuals and groups, age 3 to adult. I have taught violin at the Los Angeles Music and Art School and YOLA (Youth Orchestra L.A.) at HOLA (Heart of L.A. youth center), among other locations. My teaching method draws upon my training in the Orff approach to music and movement education, traditional violin pedagogy, my work in El Sistema-inspired programs, and a familiarity with the Suzuki method books, though I am not Suzuki-trained. I took private violin and viola lessons for 14 years, and I have played viola in local orchestras including the Marina del Rey-Westchester Symphony, and violin in the band I co-founded, including at the 2011 Holiday Celebration at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Writing

Writing

I am a credentialed teacher and am experienced and comfortable with fiction and non-fiction writing. As a teacher, I am experienced working with students at all levels on basic spelling, grammar, and structuring all types of fiction and non-fiction writing, as well as helping students craft their content to meet the specific goals of their particular writing project. I particularly enjoy helping others write personal statements, bios, and application essays: I enjoy the process of hearing you tell me about what you have done and what you want to do, then helping you craft that into a statement that reflects your unique self. As a writer, I enjoy creative non-fiction, in which I share personal stories with the intention to entertain, inspire and inform, as well as writing persuasive op-ed essays.
Elementary Science
English
Grammar
Literature
Music Theory
PSAT
SAT Writing
Spelling
Vocabulary
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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

4.8 (16 ratings)
5 star
(13)
4 star
(2)
3 star
(1)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(0)

Reviews

Knows Her Stuff

Claire did a great job helping me craft my personal statement for graduate school. I was surprised how productive she was just in one hour.

Nick, 1 lesson with Claire

Great teacher for my middle schooler!

Claire was so patient-and did a great job correcting some bad habits my son has picked up during the pandemic. He really liked working with her and looks forward to weekly lessons with Claire!!

Emily, 5 lessons with Claire

Punctual & Flexible

As a temporary replacement for our regular tutor, I was very happy to find Claire both flexible in her scheduling and punctual. In addition, she has a soft-spoken and gentle demeanor with my first grader. And she is very understanding of my daughter's educational and homework needs.

Julianna, 10 lessons with Claire