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Transformative Tutoring: Dynamic Writing/Reading/Essays/Test Prep!
Heidi J.

5.0 (2,059 ratings)

8,694 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $90
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Response time: 39 minutes

About Heidi

Bio

I help students believe in themselves!
For over twenty years, I’ve guided students to raise their grades, boost their scores, and develop essays that get into top programs. But more importantly, I’ve taught people of all ages to write more skillfully, read more closely, and understand why.
With admissions to Columbia, University of Chicago, Harvard, Yale, Duke, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Cornell, Georgetown, NYU, Barnard, Vanderbilt, the New York Times Summer Academy, and the Governor’s Honors...

I help students believe in themselves!
For over twenty years, I’ve guided students to raise their grades, boost their scores, and develop essays that get into top programs. But more importantly, I’ve taught people of all ages to write more skillfully, read more closely, and understand why.
With admissions to Columbia, University of Chicago, Harvard, Yale, Duke, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Cornell, Georgetown, NYU, Barnard, Vanderbilt, the New York Times Summer Academy, and the Governor’s Honors Program, I’ve helped students achieve 770+ SAT Reading/Writing scores, 5s on AP Lang and Lit, 33+ ACT scores, AP Scholar with Distinction Awards, 99th percentile ERB scores, and straight A’s all around.
With thorough, easy-to-understand explanations and a creative, engaging approach, I take you step-by-step, making writing, analysis, and comprehension no longer “mysterious.” From concrete exam strategies to compelling personal statements to structures for argumentative essays, I’m always here for you!
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University’s School of Music, I was proudly admitted to the Yale School of Drama. Certified by the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, I trained in Child Development at UCLA, University of Massachusetts, and University of Colorado. I also homeschooled my daughter from preschool to Columbia University and the University of Chicago Law School.
Previously a professional performer on Broadway and TV, my unique background helps me bring learning to life. Creator/Director of The College-Bound Literature & Theatre Lab in Los Angeles, I develop imaginative student theatrical experiences of literature’s greatest works including Frankenstein, The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, and 1984, plus contemporary favorites like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Hamilton. With this diverse and extensive experience, I’m excited to create lessons tailored to your needs, keeping your learning relevant, meaningful, and inspiring.
I can’t wait to help you reach your goals - and achieve your dreams!

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Education

Indiana University
Music and Theatre
Indiana University
Graduate Coursework
University of California Los Angeles
Graduate Coursework
  • Licensed teacher

Policies

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Elementary Math

Elementary Math

I created and ran the Los Angeles - West Valley Homeschoolers Math Club and Math Festival for all elementary ages. I specialize in hands-on math activities that build students' abilities to think and reason mathematically. I work with a myriad of math curricula sponsored by the National Science Foundation. I also home-schooled my own daughter in math from preschool all the way to Columbia University where she is now a rising junior!
English

English

I've been a teacher and tutor for 17 years and have taught reading from pre-school through high school. I currently teach reading, writing, English and theatre at Creative Learning Place in Los Angeles. I studied Child Development at UCLA and have taken numerous professional development workshops on approaches to engage and nurture reading, writing, comprehension, and language arts skills. I am also the Creator, Teacher, and Director of the Theatre Lab in Los Angeles, developed in 2008, which fosters a love of language arts in students from elementary through high school through creative and immersive theatre experiences. I specialize in interactive, dynamic, and creative activities that help students find relevance and purpose in language arts skills. Because of my extensive background in the professional theatre, I have developed unique and compelling tools to make learning active, experiential and dynamic, which has really brought language arts skills to life. I also taught my own daughter language arts and math skills and homeschooled her from pre-school to Columbia University, where she is a rising junior and an English major!
Homeschool

Homeschool

A homeschool teacher for 17 years, I specialize in hands-on, interactive, experiential, project-based learning. I currently teach academic and enrichment courses in writing, literature, history, theatre, music, and dance for homeschooled students, ages K-12, in Los Angeles, including Literature, Creative Writing and Theatre “Labs” on compelling, relevant, and historically-rich topics. I have a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from Indiana University where I graduated Phi Beta Kappa and was then admitted to the Yale University School of Drama. I’m fully certified in music and movement by the American Orff Schulwerk Association and trained in Child Development at UCLA, the University of Massachusetts, and the University of Colorado. I am proud to have tutored students who have achieved high scores on the SAT, ACT, PSAT, including scores of 5 on the AP English Literature exam and an AP Scholar with Distinction Award. Above all, I homeschooled my own daughter from pre-school all the way to Columbia University!
Piano

Piano

With a music degree from the prestigious Indiana University School of Music, I have been a pianist since the age of 5. I have also performed with symphony orchestras at the Kennedy Center and around the country and have designed over a dozen symphonic music education programs for children in grades K – 8. I am a fully certified Orff-Schulwerk instructor with professional development specialties in jazz for children and world music. I specialize in piano instruction for the elementary ages, emphasizing creative, interactive, and imaginative approaches for young students. I currently run the Orff Schulwerk program for the elementary grades at Creative Learning Place in Los Angeles. I love working with young music students to find joy, creativity, imagination, and play in making music on the piano!
Reading

Reading

A teacher and tutor for 17 years, I’ve taught reading from pre-school through high school. I studied Child Development at UCLA and have taken numerous professional development workshops on teaching reading and comprehension. I’m also the Creator, Teacher, and Director of the Theatre Lab in Los Angeles, developed in 2008, which fosters a love of reading in students from elementary through high school through creative and immersive theatre experiences. Working with many students with IEPs, I’ve been successful in supporting reluctant or struggling readers through high interest, student-driven reading choices and interactive, fun, and creative reading activities that help students build confidence and engagement. Because of my extensive background in the professional theatre, I’ve developed unique and compelling tools to make reading active, experiential, and dynamic, bringing reading to life for students who find reading passive or struggle to concentrate. I also taught my own daughter to read and homeschooled her from pre-school to Columbia University!
Theater

Theater

A professional actor and musical theatre performer, I've been a member of the professional actor’s unions, Actors Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, for over 35 years. I’ve been cast in leading roles in Broadway, Off-Broadway and internationally touring productions including the international company of Cats. You might have seen me selling coffee or fast food on TV commercials, tending the sick and scandalized on television soaps, or being one of the Everybody (who) Loves Raymond on sitcoms. Touring the country as a stand-up comic, I’ve appeared at all major comedy clubs in New York and Los Angeles, opened for Melissa Manchester in Las Vegas, and shared the stage with Dave Chappelle, Wanda Sykes, Patton Oswalt and many more. I’m very proud to be the creator, host, and executive producer of Stand Up Against Domestic Violence, a comedy fundraiser featuring comics like Sarah Silverman and Margaret Cho, which has two double CD sets released internationally and currently available on all major audio outlets. For the past 12 years, I’ve loved every moment of teaching theatre to young people as the creator and director of The College-Bound Literature and Theatre Lab in Los Angeles, a theatre program for high school and middle school students which explores literature creatively through the performing arts, as well as Theatre Lab Junior for grades 3 - 6, which brings exciting moments in history to life through the theatre. I’ve studied major acting techniques including the Meisner Technique, Stanislavski, Uta Hagen, and improv with Second City and the Groundlings. With extensive experience working with young actors, I focus on developing meaningful subtexts, making strong choices, and living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. My specialty is making difficult material accessible, meaningful, and relevant for young people.
Voice (Music)

Voice (Music)

With a music degree from the prestigious Indiana University School of Music, I am a professional singer with appearances on and off-Broadway, on tour nationally, and in major performing arts venues around the country. I studied voice with many of the world’s finest voice teachers in New York City including the vocal coaches of Bernadette Peters, Betty Buckley, Patti Lupone, Cyndi Lauper, and Steven Tyler. I have sung leading roles in numerous professional musical theatre productions, both high belt and legit styles. I have also performed with symphony orchestras at the Kennedy Center and around the country and have designed over a dozen symphonic music education programs for children in grades K – 8. I am a fully certified Orff-Schulwerk instructor with professional development specialties in jazz for children and world music. I currently run the Orff Schulwerk program for the elementary grades at Creative Learning Place in Los Angeles and have run The College-Bound Literature and Theatre Lab, a musical theatre lab program for high school students, for 15 years. With the diversity of my training, I am excited to nurture and inspire my students to become the most expressive and passionate singers and musicians they can be!
Writing

Writing

Tutoring writing is one of my greatest passions. For nearly twenty years, I have been on a mission to build the “toolkit” writers need to dig deeply, make connections, comprehend and analyze complex ideas and build on their skills as they make their thinking visible on the page. I am excited to help my students persuade, imagine, analyze, reflect, reason, and invent on paper with lessons designed to fit each student’s needs. I also love to help students find writing joyous, engaging, and inspiring, extending students’ ideas so they can express them powerfully. I currently teach six writing courses in Los Angeles ranging from academic essays to creative mixed genre explorations and created and taught the Multi-Genre Writing Workshop for middle school students at the Los Angeles Public Library for five years. In addition, I have written professionally and been published in national magazines and performance venues like Reader’s Digest, PBS, and live at the Kennedy Center. I also taught my own daughter to write and homeschooled her from preschool to Columbia University where she is currently a rising junior and an English major!
Grammar
Literature
Phonics

Examples of Expertise

Heidi has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 3 questions submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

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Heidi J.'s Photo

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Response time: 39 minutes

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (2,059 ratings)
5 star
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Reviews

Her teaching has been immensely helpful. She makes writing fun.

She’s the best writing coach we know. She teaches while making writing fun. Very much helped our kid advance as a writer.

Steve, 154 lessons with Heidi
Tutor responded:

Thank you so much for these kind words. It’s such a joy to work together and to watch her creativity and passion for writing shine. Seeing her wonderful, unique voice come alive on the page is one of those reminders of why I have the best job in the world!

Patient, Empathetic, Delightful Teacher

We hired Heidi to be the primary English teachers for our two home schooled boys 12 and 14. Heidi is a devoted teacher who brings a wide breadth of literature and history knowledge to the table. She is a patient, empathetic, and delightful teacher. Most importantly, her love of literature and history can shine through to infect even teenage kids (you know how they can be!). Unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts, we cannot continue our lessons with Heidi longer term. But if you ever an opportunity to work with Heidi, count your blessings and grab her!

Allen, 19 lessons with Heidi

WOW!

Heidi recently helped our 9th grader with an essay. While Heidi could only spend 45 minutes with our daughter due to time limitations on our end, she effectively and EFFICIENTLY accomplished more than others could do in twice that time. I know this because we have used other writing tutors. Additionally, Heidi spent a considerable amount of time after the session providing our daughter with helpful resources. Heidi gets an A+++ in our book!

Bonnie and Dan, 1 lesson with Heidi
Tutor responded:

Thank you so much for your gracious feedback. It was wonderful working with your daughter on her essay, unpacking the novel’s symbolism together and shaping a strong, insightful thesis and analysis. I truly appreciate your kind words — hearing from parents about my work’s impact is one of the joys of what I do!

Best teacher!

Heidi is patient and kind. She always has a smile on her face and her joy is contagious. I’m a beginner and as a virtual gift to my grandma decided to do a Christmas song, which was way harder than I thought... lol I didn’t believe I could do it but with Heidi’s help I actually sound good. She’s such a great human being!

Talita, 147 lessons with Heidi

Happy to find a knowledgeable and patient tutor

Heidi has been a patient and knowledgeable tutor. She connects really well with her students. We are so glad to have found her for tutoring our daughter.. Wish we started sooner with her

Liju, 26 lessons with Heidi

Amazing , Incredible , intelligent, Helpful Perfect

She is so responsive, flexible and intelligent and amazing teacher. My son's confidence and reading comprehension has improved. She helps with anything you ask. I am hoping to also use her for my younger son as he gets older. Cannot say enough good things about her.

Rad, 175 lessons with Heidi

Knowledgeable and patient

Heidi has tutored my son English for 4 sessions. She is very patient and knowledgeable. My son used to lack of motivation for English tutoring, but after working Heidi, he always asks me when is the next tutoring session with Heidi. Heidi makes learning easy and connectible to him, and she would patiently try different ways to help him understand a concept. I'm grateful to have Heidi as my son's English tutor and will continue to use her as my son's tutor.

Joshua, 6 lessons with Heidi

Great learning experience

Not only are the lessons taught professionally, but also engaging. We as parents also receive regular feedback, reminders and updates, which are vital to the success of the piano journey. Thank you so much Heidi!

Sherry, 206 lessons with Heidi

Very effective teaching

Heidi is a very effective teacher. She gives well structured lessons targeting at specific goals each time. She is also quite easy to communicate with, really nice with kids yet can squeeze the thoughts out of them. She helped my daughter with timed writing and we were seeing good progress with only a couple of lessons.

Xun, 13 lessons with Heidi

Experience and knowledgeable

She comes prepared and organized. My students like her style of teaching and presentation. She can help any student who wants to take their writing skills to the next level.

Daniel, 36 lessons with Heidi
Hourly Rate: $90
Response time: 39 minutes
Contact Heidi