Search
Robert V.'s Photo

Skilled 7-12 ELA Tutor, SAT/ACT, Academic and Professional Editor
Robert V.

6,107 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Hourly Rate: $60

About Robert


Bio

Sharing information and knowledge is my life‘s passion. Tutoring and classroom teaching over the past 20 years has provided me endless opportunities for assisting others in sharpening their core communication skills in English: reading, writing, and public speaking.

With a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing from the University of Houston and experience with all levels of students, often foreign students, I am excited to coach you. Your success is my success, be it academically or...

Sharing information and knowledge is my life‘s passion. Tutoring and classroom teaching over the past 20 years has provided me endless opportunities for assisting others in sharpening their core communication skills in English: reading, writing, and public speaking.

With a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing from the University of Houston and experience with all levels of students, often foreign students, I am excited to coach you. Your success is my success, be it academically or professionally. My younger students find me engaging, entertaining, and enlightening. University students know that I am well-versed in all the humanities, including postmodern theory.

Academics must connect to “the real world.” I weave content from other disciplines into my lessons so my students have a bigger, wider, deeper, and stronger contextual net of knowledge that will catch and hold more information.

If this interests you, read on. Here is how I can serve you or your student.

READING
Reading is the running of school. If you're a strong reader, all of your school work is easier. Speed and comprehension improves, giving you mastery of the subject. As well, using context clues and word roots helps grow your vocabulary. Finally, my instruction teaches readers at all levels to make thought visible. I guide students to annotate in order to comprehend more deeply. These skills transfer to formal writing as students can "hear" what good writing sounds like based on strong reading.

WRITING
Nothing creates anxiety like a blank page or screen. So students tend to put off the work until the last moment. Most then try to "type up" a paper by spilling words on a blank page hoping to fill it up.

I teach students how to scaffold the entire writing project in such a way that they are building it bit by bit. The actual "writing" - filling out sentences comes after they have their key ideas/direct quotes from the research/literary text down on paper. Now on a firm foundation, students build around it.

It is an effective paper writ


Education

University of Dayton, OH
American Studies
University of Houston, Houston TX
Masters
University of Houston, Houston, TX
PhD
  • Licensed teacher

Policies


Schedule

Loading...

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat


Approved Subjects

ACT English

ACT English

Let me help you prepare for the reading and writing portions ONLY of the ACT. While the ACT is gaining in popularity over the SAT - make no mistake - in the final analysis, these are both reading comprehension tests. The better you read, the higher you will score. The ACT is a bit different than the SAT as it resembles a "standard" school test on content, while the SAT is a critical thinking test, meaning it assesses how well you can work with material you've never seen before.
American History

American History

My first passion as a young reader was American History. While I have a PhD, American Studies - social and cultural history of the US - has been at the foreground of all my work and studies. I have tutored AP history as well as World History and standard US history. I am well versed in the themes of American History as well as the major players. As well, I know the impact our history has had on the peoples and their cultures inside and outside of our country.
Career Development

Career Development

Be a linchpin, the desired employee of the 21st century workforce who doesn't wait to be chosen but is motivated and prepared to lead. With my experience developing career skills, I will teach you to write well, organize and execute smart presentations, as well as sharpen your public speaking, interview skills, and finally revise your resume and cover letters when you want to advance yourself.
College Counseling

College Counseling

Colleges accept you based on your potential. I help both students and their parents understand how to frame the essay application and supplemental questions. Additionally, I help students and parents with the entire search process:, essays, organizing paperwork, picking a potential major, and prioritizing applications. Using my vast experience with students who are sometimes unsure about which are the crucial questions they need to ask themselves, I guide them at all levels of the process. As well, I assist college transfer students, those applying for specific scholarships or internships, as well as editing and revising graduate program applications or profession (medical or law) schools.
English

English

With a PhD in Literature/Creative Writing, I will help you successfully complete any assignment, understand any text, improve your core reading and writings skills, which will lead to higher grades as well as deeper understanding. With younger students I work on core skills in addition to helping the with making thought visible and thinking in the abstract. With university students, I help them place a work of literature in a greater context - either historically or intellectually - for comprehensive understanding. Finally, I am well-versed in APA, MLA, and University of Chicago style manuals.
Literature

Literature

As an avid reader, teacher, and student of writing, I can discuss any genre of texts for its content (the school house literary elements) and as an formal "object of discourse" for university or dissertation work. With my teaching experience, I know how to find the right example for your level so as to break it down so you'll understand.
Public Speaking

Public Speaking

More people fear public speaking than death itself. However, every organization hungers for employees who can stand up and champion its products and ideas. Want to master the boardroom or the classroom? Excellent public speaking skills are a low cost addition to your professional or academic tool box that will distinguish you from your coworkers. I have 30+ years of presentation experience in sales, education (inside and outside of the classroom), in theater, and public advocacy. I will teach you how to write and revise an effective presentation, build a PowerPoint that enhances your text, and rehearse your work so your skills improve immediately.
Reading

Reading

Reading is the running of school. In all sports, you need to run. If you cannot read easily, all school work suffers. It's the one skill that all students need to raise their grades across the board. With over 20 years of experience, I've taught many strategies successfully to help students at all grade levels maximize their time spent reading. All the reading, writing and test taking strategies I teach will help students every day in school, regardless of grade level.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

Nothing replaces close reading. My SAT Reading Prep prepares a student for critical thinking - "chunking" the text, annotating for key words from the questions and the text, noting transition words, claims, and rhetorical strategies. This allows the student to unpack the passage accurately and score well.
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

With over 10 years of test prep experience, my tutoring covers content, organization and mechanics: grammar help for mechanical errors, content for the critical thinking required for the rhetorical analysis and organization for a completely developed essay. The test grades your work as if it's a first draft, but my tutoring will help you compose a point winning essay.
Theater

Theater

I have over 20 years experience in theatre as an actor, writer and director. I trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre by Richard Pinter. I studied Improvisation with Paul Sills among others. I have studied playwrighting with Edward Albee and Eduardo Machado. As well I have performed with noted theatre companies in Minneapolis, MN, and New York City. Additionally, I have taught "Introduction to Theatre" at the university level. As well, in my college composition classes, my students were required to read and attend the campus productions at the University of Houston in conjunction with my Rhetoric Class. Finally, I am well-versed in theatre as literature, especially the world of Shakespeare and modern 20th century American greats like O'Neill, Williams, Miller, and Mamet.
Writing

Writing

High school or college essay? Admission essays and supplemental questions? Grad school seminar papers or projects? Dissertation? Professional letters, presentations, or projects? I do it all. I offer quality editing and revision, as well as input on content. With a PhD in English and years of experience, I am a quick study who can help you nail down those tricky assignments. Let me help you reach your full writing potential in school or business. Please review my student testimonials; then contact me.
ACT Reading
Government & Politics

Examples of Expertise


Robert has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 9 questions submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

Robert V.'s Photo

Questions? Contact Robert before you book.

Still have questions?

Ratings and Reviews


Rating

5.0 (1,292 ratings)
5 star
(1,266)
4 star
(15)
3 star
(4)
2 star
(4)
1 star
(3)

Reviews

Phenomenal tutor

Robert is by far one of the best tutors I have had the pleasure of working with. He is ALWAYS competent and willing to help me no matter the time line. He's work is phenomenal and it still amazes me efficient he works. An assignment that would normally take me a week to do well I can do it with his help in 1-2 days. I highly recommend working with him on any writing or editing project you have. He always listens to me and works around whatever writing preference or input I may have. Robert is tutoring rockstar!

Maredith, 6 lessons with Robert

Kind, patient, and highly effective teacher

We highly recommend Robert as a tutor! He is very responsible, professional, and clearly knows how to teach effectively. We've had three sessions with him so far, and each one has been excellent. He explains concepts clearly and is very patient with students. We're definitely looking forward to continuing more classes with him! Thank you, Robert for your tutoring!

Degi, 5 lessons with Robert

Knowledgeable, insightful, and stimulating.

Robert is a wonderful teacher. He is patient, insightful, and engaging. He doesn’t just teach you the text, but helps you understand on a deeper level, and encouraging you to form your thoughts into language.

Ning, 16 lessons with Robert

A gentlemen with years of knowledge

You can tell from the start Robert has years of expirience in english writting. If you need a pair of eyes that has seen many many essays, and that can guide you to be a better writter, he is the guy. His insights are verry artisticly deep and valid too. When he talks about classic texts or famous works he has so many references and good analysis.

Ian, 2 lessons with Robert

Great tutor

Julia looks forward to her lessons. She's reading on her own now for enjoyment. She's doing better in practice tests. Robert is a great tutor!

Liz, 17 lessons with Robert

ACT Prep

My daughter really enjoys her lessons with Robert. She's preparing for the ACT and he's helping with English and Science. He's patient, prepared and thorough. They've had several sessions and she's getting less wrong in practice tests

Liz, 17 lessons with Robert

knowledgeable and patient tutor

really patient with my daughter and teaches in detail .He taught her English and civics in various styles of writing and different reading topics for my 9th grader.

Lena, 14 lessons with Robert

College application essay tutor

Robert did a great job helping my son brainstorm ideas, refine and edit his college application essay! He was efficient and made the process easy. I would highly recommend Robert.

Laura, 1 lesson with Robert

Excellent College Essay Review

I had two rough draft essays that Robert reviewed for me. He helped me get one of them under the word max all while drastically improving the essay’s clarity. I will definitely request Robert again as I work through my application

Bradley, 2 lessons with Robert

Knowledgeable

I waS very impressed with Robert. And am excited to put his suggestions to work! He had great ideas and was very knowledgeable. I’m looking forward to another session.

Patrice, 1 lesson with Robert
Hourly Rate: $60
Contact Robert