World Traveler Teaches Academics/ESL/Spanish

Donna S.

ACT English

My name is Donna S. I am a private teacher/tutor who has helped students all over the world prepare for the ACT and SAT tests. I specialize in Language Arts and have many strategies to help students improve their reading, writing, and comprehension skills. What I often find is that students simply don't have enough vocabulary to be successful in this area. That can be easily corrected! I am very patient, encouraging, and thorough; let me help your child today!

ASVAB

I have helped several students successfully prepare for the ASVAB test. The unique quality of this test is that it includes not only academic subjects, but also general and mechanical skills. It it the military's way of finding out what you know so they can see what your strongest areas are and it gives them a chance to make good use of your skills. I currently teach Language Arts and Science, but also have an adequate working knowledge of mechanical and electrical skills to help you understand the needed concepts in order to successfully pass the ASVAB. Let me help you make your dreams come true!

Elementary (K-6th)

I have taught elementary education all over the world, and currently teach Language Arts and Science at a private school in St. Johns county. I am also very experience at teaching children with learning disabilities. I have some wonderful methods to help students who struggle with any elementary subject. What I have found is that students who build a good vocabulary foundation, are much more successful at all the other subhects as well. I am very patient, encouraging, and thorough.would love to work with your child to build that foundation; please contact me.

Elementary Math

I have taught elementary subjects, including math, all over the world. I help students build a solid understanding of number systems and a foundation that will help them be successful. I am very patient, encouraging, and thorough. I understand "the new math" and can help your student build a solid foundation for future progress in math. Please contact me and let's begin our lessons.

English

I have taught Language Arts all over the world to students of all ages and levels. I have written Language Arts curriculum and also do alot of creative writing and have been published. I have a very special system for helping students understand the writing process and how to bring out the creativity in themselves. I can teach your student how to make their stories come alive as well as how to get real depth from what they read. It is one thing to just read a story or piece of literature, however it is another thing to understand the author's complete message to the reader. Let me help you do that!

ESL/ESOL

I am a certified ESL teacher with both the TEFL certificate and the TEFL Diploma (250 hours research based at the Masters level). I have taught ESL all over the world, as well as wrote curriculum and set up school programs in various countries for students to learn English as a communication tool. I also speak other languages that I have learned in my travels, so I am very aware of the challenges of learning a new language. I teach all levels of the CEF (Common European Framework) and cover the four basic skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. One of the most important aspects of learning a new language is having sufficient vocabulary to support the grammar; we will work hard in that area. I have taught professionals, translators, college students, as well as Pre-K through high school graduation. I am very patient, encouraging, and thorough. Let me help you learn English!

GED

I have taught all levels of students all over the world. I have many years of experience preparing students to take the GED exam. I am very patient, encouraging, and thorough, and have many test taking strategies to share with my students. Please contact me so we can get you started today.

Needlework

I have been hand sewing, machine sewing, knitting, crocheting, doing embroidery, crewel, needlepoint, and hand arts for many years. I have also made wedding gowns and formals, done alterations, and taught these subjects at community centers in several cities.

Phonics

I have taught phonics to young students for more than 30 years. It's the best way to help them with reading. It was especially helpful for non-English speaking students as they are trying to learn English. I used phonics to help students with spelling issues as well as pronunciation issues and to help them understand the correct word and way to use it. Phonics is the study of how our words are formed according to the sounds the letters made when put together. It also includes managing the differences and similarities in words and their meanings according to the context in which they are used. Phonics help students to break down words into syllables for pronunciation to assist with reading readiness. Most students are taught phonics in grades K-2 in order to help them learn how to read.Through phonics, students learn to pronounce and relate to words more. effectively and to notice how words group together for effective communication. Phonics are essential to learning the English language.

Prealgebra

I have taught math of all levels through Algebra II and helped many students all over the world prepare for their college entrance exams. The key to doing math is to have a strong foundation in numbers sense; that's what I help my students with, building strong foundations that prepare them for the next step in math.

Reading

Hello, I have taught reading, reading comprehension and writing skills all over the world to students attempting to learn English. I currently teach these skills for students in Middle School at a private school. I have also taught test prep for the SAT/ACt using these skills. Many times what I find is that students don't have enough vocabulary to be successful in reading; especially in a world where everything is electronics which don't require much expanded vocabulary. I have some excellent strategies to help any kind of student with reading and language arts; it's my passion. I am very patient, encouraging, and thorough. I look forward to working with your student to help them become excellent at understanding and expressing English in a meaningful way. Please do not hesitate to contact me so we can get started on the path towards success for your student today.

Religion

I have taught comparative religions to the community through a non-profit group for many years. I also taught them in Egypt through the social studies portion of the curriculum in an International American School there. I enjoy looking at religions and the cultures they include. The study of religion is the study of multicultural approaches to mankind's understanding of the unknown areas between what is seen, understood, and manipulated, and the which is veiled, unseen, not known, and not able to be manipulated. It involves organized and non-traditional religions and their concepts and constructs. Included is the affect of these belief systems on the people who hold them and make decisions for their lives and social surroundings based on these concepts and constructs. Each religion is different, although there are certain similarities through many of them.

SAT Reading

I have taught SAT preparation for high school students throughout the world as they prepare for entrance into American colleges and universities. I currently teach Language Arts at a private school, and have some excellent methods and systems for reading comprehension and the writing process that will help them be successful. Most of my students score more than 1400 overall on the exam. I am very patient, thorough, and encouraging. Please let me help your student prepare for their exam.

SAT Writing

I have taught SAT writing and grammar skills all over the world to high school students. I excel in the Language Arts area and have a special system for the writing process that guarantees success. I currently teach Language Arts/Grammar/Writing for a private school. I teach students how to write successful paragraphs, essays, and theses. I have also written Language Arts curriculum and been published. Let me help you with your SAT preparation!

Sewing

I have sewed for more than 40 years. I have made money professionally as a dressmaker of women's clothes, formal wear, and children's clothing. I have also done alterations for dry cleaners in several cities. I have taught sewing at community centers and through the Girl Scouts.

Social Studies

I have taught Social Studies to home schoolers for more than 30 years. When I was in Egypt, I taught K-12 in Social Studies as well for more than 2 years professionally. I have an in-depth understanding of the world around me and its social systems and cultures. I also understand the geopolitical impact of each country on the next one.Social Studies is the study of earth's social communities and their processes of civilization. They include information about our country as well as the other countries and cultures around the world. From K-6 students take an indepth look at cultures, religion, government and its processes, building communities, communities and cultures throughout history and the affects of their decisions on the present day society, map skills, the study of landforms and weather regions and their affect on the cultures, traditions, economy and forms of productivity and the working conditions, and sources of food, clothing, and building materials for a particular area. Students branch off from this in the middle school years to study more closely the history of particular world regions and geography of their landforms. Social Studies gives children a sense of connectedness through similarities to the world around them.

Sociology

I have 12 credits of sociology from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. I have tutored and assisted college students with sociology projects and classes for more than 30 years. Sociology is the scientific study of societies throughout the world. It involves qualifying and quantifying them through every aspect of the human experience as it relates to others in that society. Sociology attempts to group individuals along certain boundaries to describe and define the societies of the human family.

Study Skills

I have taught critical thinking, organization of curriculum resources and study skills to students, including home schoolers and students with learning difficulties for more than 30 years. While in Egypt for two years, I developed the curriculum for Middle School and High School students to learn these same study skills in order for that school to become accredited by the American Content Standards. Study skills involves the discipline of using critical thinking to understand and apply information in a way that students can recall it for future purposes. It involves helping them become organized and use a systematic approach that builds information foundationally and generates deeper understanding and practical expertise. Each student has their own way of assimilating new information and experiences; he or she must be guided in that direction in order for learning to be successful.

TOEFL

I have a TEFL-Diploma (250 hours at the master's level) and I have taught the TOEFL and IELTS test prep all over the world. I have also helped develope curriculum and study programs for learners of all ages and socio-economic categories. I am very patient, encouraging, and thorough. I have also studied other world languages, so I know very well the struggles language learners face. I am fluent in Spanish and French, as well as speaking survival Arabic and Russian. I am constantly studying new languages so I can communicate more with other members of our human family. I enjoy meeting people from other cultures for a cultural exchange and to help them learn English. The TOEFL and IELTS require study and preparation and I have many learning strategies to help you with this. Please contact me today!

Writing

I have taught English as a second language to students of every age and gender throughout the world. I have a TEFL-Diploma, which is equivalent to a Masters degree in English as a second language. I am very patient, encouraging, and thorough. I believe learning should be practical, foundational, and most of all, fun! I would love to help you with all your English language needs. Please contact me today!