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Heidi J.

Dynamic, Creative, Experienced Tutor: Reading, Writing, Math, Music!

Dynamic, Creative, Experienced Tutor: Reading, Writing, Math, Music!

$70/hour

5.0 (479 ratings)

  • 1,146 hours tutoring

About Heidi

Bio

A teacher and tutor for nearly 20 years, I specialize in hands-on, interactive, dynamic learning in English, writing, reading, and the performing arts. I'm experienced tutoring both creative and academic writing and am proud to have tutored students who have achieved high scores on the SAT, ACT, and AP English exams, including scores of 5 on the AP English Literature exam, an AP Scholar with Distinction Award, and admission to the Ivy League. I have a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from...

A teacher and tutor for nearly 20 years, I specialize in hands-on, interactive, dynamic learning in English, writing, reading, and the performing arts. I'm experienced tutoring both creative and academic writing and am proud to have tutored students who have achieved high scores on the SAT, ACT, and AP English exams, including scores of 5 on the AP English Literature exam, an AP Scholar with Distinction Award, and admission to the Ivy League. 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 by the American Orff Schulwerk Association and trained in Child Development at UCLA, the University of Massachusetts, and the University of Colorado. I also homeschooled my own daughter from pre-school all the way to Columbia University!

Before becoming a teacher and tutor, I was a professional performer and comedian, appearing on Broadway and TV! This background helps me engage students in experiential learning that brings assignments to life. From the most play-based strategies for early reading to the rigors of college-bound literature and writing, I provide tutoring that is engaging, creative, effective, and fun!

As the creator, teacher, and director of The College-Bound Literature and Theatre Lab in Los Angeles, I have developed hands-on, interactive, and imaginative student theatrical experiences of the greatest works of literature including Frankenstein, The Great Gatsby, 1984, Anna Karenina, The Grapes of Wrath, and Moby Dick, as well as contemporary favorites like Broadway’s Hamilton, Harry Potter, and more! I have extensive experience helping students read closely, deepen their comprehension, and write about literature analytically, creatively, and passionately. I’m excited to help my students persuade, imagine, analyze, reflect, reason, and invent on paper with lessons designed to fit each student’s needs and help students find writing joyous, engaging, and inspiring!

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Education

Indiana University
Music and Theatre
Indiana University
Graduate Coursework
University of California Los Angeles
Graduate Coursework

Policies

Schedule

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Subjects

Art

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.

Corporate Training

Grammar

Elementary Education

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!
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!
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!
Grammar, Phonics

English

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!
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!
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

Homeschool

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!
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!
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!

Most Popular

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!
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!
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!

Music

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!
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!

Special Needs

Phonics

Summer

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!
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!

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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Ratings and Reviews

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5.0 (479 ratings)
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Featured review

Amazing with children!

Heidi has high energy and is lots of fun for my son. Heidi is a quick thinker and incorporates what my son is interested in into his piano lesson. She is amazing!

Leah, 65 lessons with Heidi

Great Tutor

Heidi is an excellent and very patient reading tutor for our first grade son. He looks forward to his lessons with her. Full of positive energy, she keeps his 6 year old mind from wandering and keeps him engaged and curious to learn.

Tony, 12 lessons with Heidi

great teacher!

Heidi is helping my mom improving her English and she’s a great teacher, she makes the lesson entertaining and fun !

Merai, 3 lessons with Heidi

Excellent tutor for writing

Heidi helped bring the topic into manageable pieces that fit together easily making the writing process more understandable. She was patient, intelligent and nice.

Kristen, 20 lessons with Heidi

Passionate and patient teacher.

Heidi was really good with my daughter. She was able to walk my daughter through the basic things about music and piano during a short period of time, and she made it so fun!!! My daughter got so eager to play after her first class with Heidi.

Lisa, 13 lessons with Heidi

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, 33 lessons with Heidi

Enthusiastic and patient

Working on creative writing. My daughter’s writing has significantly improved. She is now able to create complex sentences. She looks forward to her lessons. She is engaged through out her lesson.

Varsha, 70 lessons with Heidi

Nice approach in manage interaction and teaching

Heidi is extremely competent in manage class experience with my middle school age daughter. She is able to combine the introduction of teacher and students, and teaching literature in a seamless way.

Wen, 17 lessons with Heidi

Amazing mentor!

Really helped me get out of a rut with writing outlines! I have absolutely no regrets about the time spent in that lesson. She made learning about writing very fun and very clear. Probably better than some of my own writing teachers. Highly recommended!

Kathryn, 16 lessons with Heidi

Great with kids

Heidi is fun, dedicated and kind to kids and parents. My son (8yo) enjoys his weekly piano lesson very much. We sign up for my daughter too. Highly recommended!

Nazz, 6 lessons with Heidi
Contact Heidi

Response time: 16 minutes

$70/hour

Heidi J.'s Photo

Heidi J.

$70/hour

  • No subscriptions or upfront payments

  • Only pay for the time you need

  • Find the right fit, or your first hour is free

Contact Heidi

Response time: 16 minutes