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English teacher specializing in test prep, reading, and writing!
Pieta C.

5.0 (1,233 ratings)

4,276 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $110
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Response time: 2 hours

About Pieta

Bio

I am a certified English teacher and experienced tutor who addresses individual academic needs. My areas of expertise include Test Prep (SAT/ACT Verbal, AP English, SAT II Literature, PSAT, ISEE/SSAT); Homeschooling; Reading Comprehension; Essay Writing, including college application essays; Vocabulary Development Grammar; and Study and Organizational Skills.

For testing, I focus on both content and strategies. Testing strategies are easily learned and empower students to tackle each...

I am a certified English teacher and experienced tutor who addresses individual academic needs. My areas of expertise include Test Prep (SAT/ACT Verbal, AP English, SAT II Literature, PSAT, ISEE/SSAT); Homeschooling; Reading Comprehension; Essay Writing, including college application essays; Vocabulary Development Grammar; and Study and Organizational Skills.

For testing, I focus on both content and strategies. Testing strategies are easily learned and empower students to tackle each problem with confidence.

My background includes working with a wide range of students, from at-risk K-12 graders to honors middle and high school students to college students and teachers. With over 15 years of classroom experience, and over 25 of tutoring, I will help you set and reach realistic goals for improvement.

Skills/Certifications: Certified Middle and High School English Teacher in CT, NY, and NJ; Certified K-6; Middle School Social Studies Teacher; Certified Trainer of Conflict/Resolution and Peer Mediation; Certified Business Communicator (CBC); Certified Yoga Instructor (E-RYT) (useful in addressing school and test anxieties and other stressful situations).

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Education

Rutgers University
English Literature
Rutgers University
Graduate Coursework
  • Licensed teacher

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $110
  • Rate details: Please note: In-person sessions are 90 minutes long. Cancellations with less than 24-hour notice charged a fee of $25. No-shows, In-person or online, charged full price of scheduled session.
  • Lesson cancellation: 24 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 8/15/2014

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

ACT English

ACT English

The strategy here is to identify the type of error before looking at the answer choices. I teach this strategy to empower students to take the upper hand on this test. Too many students use their ear rather than the rules of grammar. This only works 60% of the time.
ACT Reading

ACT Reading

The key to scoring well on this test is to read actively. Many students have heard this term but don't understand what it means and why it works. I help students identify the type, tone, and main idea of each passage before looking at the questions. The ACT reading test is merely asking you whether or not you read and understood the passage. If the answer is yes, these strategies will earn you a perfect score.
Common Core

Common Core

Before Common Core became law, I was working privately with students in Scardsdale/Westchester, NY and Greenwich, CT, helping them prepare for the change. New York was one of the early buy-ins to the program and shared lesson plans, best practices, and materials with parents. I helped those parents and students make sense of the jargon. As a teacher in NJ, I often was involved in writing curricula for my district, and so I understand how to link objectives to exercises and lessons aimed at reaching those objectives. Common Core is simply a list of objectives to be reached at each grade level. My job is to help students reach those objectives.
COOP/HSPT

COOP/HSPT

The COOP/HSPT tests are difficult! Many times, they test grammar not learned in school or math not yet learned (or learned years ago)! Preparation requires both strategy and content refreshers. The tests include analogies; antonyms; synonyms; vocabulary; verbal reasoning; grammar and punctuation; critical reading; and all areas of math, algebra, and geometry. The two tests vary, but I can help with either test. I have over 15 years of teaching test preparation, both inside and outside of the classroom. I am professionally trained to tutor test prep, focusing on both content (as needed) and strategies for multiple-choice tests.
Elementary (K-6th)

Elementary (K-6th)

I am a certified elementary teacher. I have multiple teaching certificates in CT, NY, and NJ.
English

English

I taught middle school and high school English for over ten years. I have tutored in English for over 20 years. I am an English grammar nerd... always rechecking the books for accurate information and explanations relating to issues of grammar. If I don't know the answer, I know where to look for it!
Grammar

Grammar

I am a certified English teacher in three states (NY, NJ, and CT). I taught middle school and high school English for over ten years. I have tutored in English for over 20 years. Grammar is one of my areas of expertise. In the corporate world, I published a trade magazine, acting as writer and editor.
ISEE

ISEE

I have been professionally trained by an upscale reputable tutoring company to teach the SSAT and ISEE tests. Over the past five years, I have tutored dozens of students taking all levels of these tests. I know each test well and have helped students improve their scores substantially and get accepted into the schools of their choice. I am a retired certified English teacher as well.
Literature

Literature

I majored in literature at Rutgers University and went on to take graduate literature courses. I taught high school and middle school English for over 10 years. I tutor for SAT II Lit test.
Praxis

Praxis

I am a certified English teacher who has been teaching both English and test preparation for decades. I took the Praxis General Knowledge test to teach elementary grades in NJ and I took 2 more Praxis tests when I moved from NJ to CT. Since then, I have been helping other teachers pass these tests. I am professionally trained to teach test prep including ACT; SAT; ISEE; SSAT; and the Praxis has components similar to these tests. I also have self-studies to tutor students in over a dozen other standardized tests. The content changes, but the strategies are identical.
Proofreading

Proofreading

In the 1980s, I worked in business-to-business advertising, where I proof-read ads and wrote press releases. As an English teacher, I taught writing/editing/proofreading as part of the curricula in middle and high school classes. In business, I published and edited a bi-monthly marketing communications publication for a North American trade association.
PSAT

PSAT

I have expertise in teaching strategies and content for the PSAT Critical Reading and Writing tests. I will help you set your appropriate goal and range, and teach you specific stategies to break the SAT code, tackling sentence improvement, error recognition, and paragraph improvement.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

The key to scoring well on this test is to read actively. Many students have heard this term but don't understand what it means and why it works. I help students identify the type, tone, and main idea of each passage before looking at the questions. The SAT reading test is merely asking you whether or not you read and understood the passage. If the answer is yes, these strategies will earn you a perfect score. I am a certified English teacher in three states (NY, NJ, and CT).
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

The strategy here is to identify the type of error before looking at the answer choices. I teach this strategy to empower students to take the upper hand on this test. Too many students use their ear rather than the rules of grammar. This only works 60% of the time.
STAAR

STAAR

I can assist with both strategies and content for all sections of the elementary tests and for the verbal sections of the high school STARR test. The critical reading sections require a careful, active reading and analysis. This can be achieved with a few simple strategies. The writing sections cover most areas of grammar, punctuation, and rhetorical errors used on the SAT/ACT tests. The math sections (elementary) require a combination of content and strategy: knowing when to do the math and when to use logic or the answer choices.
Study Skills

Study Skills

Strong study skills help to make students successful. The focus here is on organization, time management, study skills, focus, concentration, content, and communication with teachers. Before beginning with a student, I perform an assessment (interview) of learning modalities and present practices. We then focus on weak areas. I have taught study skills both one-on-one and in workshops. For five years, I taught at-risk middle school students who needed special attention on basic skills and organization skills. We focused on what an intelligent student does to be successful. As a middle and high school teacher, I worked with students in the classroom and one-on-one in the area of study skills. As an SAT tutor, I focus on study skills and strategies to master the test.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Vocabulary increases naturally with reading and writing. It is not easily acquired through drill, but can be done. My expertise in increasing vocabulary stems from using root words, suffixes, and prefixes to identify meaning of new words, and from devising witty mnemonic devices to remember unfamiliar words... so the meaning sticks forever!
Writing

Writing

Essay writing is formulated and, if taught using a simple template, is easily mastered. Whether you are writing a persuasive, narrative, expository, synthesis, analytic, or argumentative piece, there are guidelines and a step-by-step process which will lead every student to succeed. Essay writing is a skill that once learned will last a lifetime. For years, I taught writing to middle and high school students as part of English class. As a tutor, I work with students from 2nd grade through college. In addition to teaching writing in middle and high school English classes, I published and edited a bi-monthly marketing communications publication for a North American trade association. In the 1980's, I worked in business-to-business advertising where I proof-read ads and wrote press releases.
Yoga

Yoga

I am a 500 hour E-RYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) instructor. I teach at a university.
Elementary Math
Prealgebra
Reading
Spelling
SSAT

Examples of Expertise

Pieta has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 1 question submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

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Pieta C.'s Photo

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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (1,233 ratings)
5 star
(1,211)
4 star
(16)
3 star
(3)
2 star
(1)
1 star
(2)

Reviews

Incredibly good! Made such a huge difference in a short time.

We are working with Pieta to help our daughter prepare for the ISEE test, and of the many tutors & teachers I have come across, Pieta stands out as one of the very best. Starting right in our first session, Pieta gave our daughter strategies and tips that made a difference and immediately improved her scores on practice tests. That also gave our daughter more confidence. We appreciated Pieta's flexibility. She didn't try to fit us into a rigid program but listened to what we thought we needed. That meant the time we spent was focused and efficient, and in our case meant we focused mainly on vocabulary and essay writing. In both areas, she gave insights into how and what to study as well as test-taking strategies. Her instructions for writing a good essay and subsequent reviews of my daughter's efforts were extraordinarily valuable. My daughter's writing improved significantly in just two sessions. Pieta provided all of this teaching and value in a kind, caring, personable way. She is the kind of remarkable teacher one rarely comes across, someone who is excellent at what they do and who genuinely cares about the student. She makes such a positive difference, and we feel extremely fortunate to work with her.

Saori, 6 lessons with Pieta

Great lesson

She is great! Give excellent suggestions to help my daughter progress! Looking forward to next lesson! I believe she will definitely help her pass the HSPT

Girly, 10 lessons with Pieta

Great lesson

She is great! Give excellent suggestions to help my daughter progress! Looking forward to next lesson! I believe she will definitely help her pass the HSPT

Girly, 10 lessons with Pieta

Great lesson

She is great! Give excellent suggestions to help my daughter progress! Looking forward to next lesson! I believe she will definitely help her pass the HSPT

Girly, 10 lessons with Pieta

Knowledgeable and great tutor

My daughter has been taking writing sessions with Pieta for a few months now. She really enjoyed the lessons and said Pieta has helped her a lot in organizing thoughts and formulating a better essay writing strategies.

Qing, 40 lessons with Pieta

Introduction

Thoughtfully listened and understood our objectives. Clearly laid out a planned approach. Connected nicely with our boys. We were very pleased - thank you.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Matt, 8 lessons with Pieta

Knowledgeable & Kind

I wish we had found Pieta sooner, she is amazing! She has a gentle and patient way of encouraging my very reluctant son to keep going. She has taught us some excellent strategies for the ISEE in just 2 sessions. We highly recommend her!

Julie, 7 lessons with Pieta

Knowledgeable and Well experienced

Ms. Pieta has been tutoring my son for few weeks. She has been very knowledgeable and well experienced to understand the student's pain points on reading and writing. Target and focus on those, prepare a plan and roadmap for my son, helping to learn the strategy on how to overcome. My son reading/writing has been improved a lot based on few sessions. I would highly recommend!

SELVAKUMAR, 9 lessons with Pieta

Perfect for my daughter

They connected immediately. Pieta provided recommendations on how to analyze poetry and craft a strong essay for her IB final exams. She also provided concrete ways to minimize my daughter's fatigue during lengthy exams. Best of all, my daughter is looking forward to her next session.

Tracy, 7 lessons with Pieta

Enthusiastic and upbeat

Relates to my student very well. We enjoy how she explains the work load and makes it fun. We are focusing on writing and looking forward to seeing how she does with math, but have all the confidence in the world she will nail that also.

Rob, 76 lessons with Pieta
Hourly Rate: $110
Response time: 2 hours
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