I'm Ryan! My dream is to show students the power of language through play. Writing can make someone's heart beat faster, make them laugh or cry, or feel hopeful – when students work with language, they are working with people's minds. Language can transform themselves and their worlds.
The students I know want to create things, so I want them to play with writing before they must use writing as a method of crafting arguments and sharing research. Sadly, most of us have "art scars" around...
I'm Ryan! My dream is to show students the power of language through play. Writing can make someone's heart beat faster, make them laugh or cry, or feel hopeful – when students work with language, they are working with people's minds. Language can transform themselves and their worlds.
The students I know want to create things, so I want them to play with writing before they must use writing as a method of crafting arguments and sharing research. Sadly, most of us have "art scars" around writing, meaning we remember moments from early in our lives where we learned that we were "not good writers", and that lesson stays with us and keeps us from creating.
Most struggling young writers suffer from a from a lack of deep confidence, not a lack of ability. The fear of appearing unintelligent or losing points prevents students from creating. Most students can talk for hours about their favorite topics but cannot write for 5 minutes about those same topics – not because they can't, but because they've been paralyzed by their past experiences with writing.
We have an innate desire to play and explore, but school is not a safe place to take risks, experiment, and express themselves. That's precisely what students need to build skill and confidence with language. I'd love to help you develop your writing for school, for work, or for your own benefit!
A little about my qualifications: I taught writing at the Community College of Baltimore County for 13 years, and tutored in the college's Writing and Literacy Center for 12 years. I taught English 101 and 102, specializing in helping students who struggled with writing. I also worked with acceleration initiatives to support students and improve pass rates for English 101. I've taught a diverse group of students from Baltimore County and Baltimore City with a variety of needs, learning styles, and schooling experiences. Most of my students have been between the ages 16 and 35, and usually worked jobs while attending school.
