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TTT (Teacher Turned Tutor)
Cynthia C.

5.0 (544 ratings)

3,249 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $60
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Response time: 3 minutes

About Cynthia

Bio

For more than thirty years, I taught elementary school as a full-time, part-time and substitute teacher in three states. For the last dozen years, I have tutored children in primarily the upper elementary school and middle school grades in math and/or reading. As a certified ESL teacher, I have worked with adults and children to improve their proficiency in English. I love to read, but didn't as a child, for I was, and still am, a slow reader, but that has no relevance to enjoying the...

For more than thirty years, I taught elementary school as a full-time, part-time and substitute teacher in three states. For the last dozen years, I have tutored children in primarily the upper elementary school and middle school grades in math and/or reading. As a certified ESL teacher, I have worked with adults and children to improve their proficiency in English. I love to read, but didn't as a child, for I was, and still am, a slow reader, but that has no relevance to enjoying the printed page or comprehending the story or book. Teaching math has been part of my most recent full-time experience and I have some games that help students become more confident in knowing the addition and multiplication facts.
Since I'm an "encourager" by nature, each student will work under an encouraging attitude. I tend to connect with students who have attention difficulties, or are shy, or unsure of themselves. I take education seriously and I want each student to feel responsible for his or her own learning. Together, I believe we can accomplish that.

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Education

University of Southern Maine, Gorham
Math and Primary Edu
  • Licensed teacher

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $60
  • Rate details: If session is cancelled within four hours before session, charge is half the hourly rate. If I show up and student is not there, full hourly fee is assessed.
  • Lesson cancellation: 4 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 11/11/2013

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

ADHD

ADHD

I am the mother of a grown son with ADHD and have attended seminars and read many articles and books on the subject. I have had several students in my classes over the years who have had some of the same learning styles characterized by ADD/ADHD, and I have had success working with them. I deal with the inattention and focusing struggles with patience and encouragement.
Elementary (K-6th)

Elementary (K-6th)

I began my career teaching first grade for three years in CT. From there, I substitute taught in grades one to five in MA and began tutoring elementary students in math and reading. Next, I began substitute teaching grades k-5 in TX and then had four years of full-time work, after three years of part-time teaching small groups in math and/or reading. In all my years of teaching, full- or part-time, I have remained in elementary school with most of my years teaching third through fifth grades.
Elementary Math

Elementary Math

Most of my teaching experience has been with math….from substitute teaching, to teaching the gifted students in third grade math one year, to teaching math to small groups within the school day as an extra help for struggling students, to teaching full time in fifth and third grades as a math teacher. I have experience with the struggling, as well as the competent, students. I am an encourager by nature, so I am likely to instill confidence in your child.
English

English

Whether you are a school-aged student needing help in an English class, or an adult wishing to increase your English speaking ability, I am intersted in working with you. Learning the language is incredibly empowering and would ease your life in America.
ESL/ESOL

ESL/ESOL

I am certified in teaching English as a Second Language. I would use pictures, gestures, and other ways to teach a non-English speaker to begin using the language. I have resources to help students increase their speaking and reading capabilities. From that, they would be taught to write English and as each area of using English increased, their learning would grow.
Grammar

Grammar

Having taught grammar in 3rd-5th grades, I am particularly interested in the correct usage of the apostrophe! Plurals do not need an apostrophe, but showing possession does (oranges…none; bird's egg …yes). Grammar can be complicated, but with a few rules, your child can be stronger in this area. Verb usage, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, sentence structure, parts of speech and use of the apostrophe are just some of the ways we work on grammar.
Phonics

Phonics

When I began my teaching career, I taught first grade and we used a programmed reading program which taught phonics. I believe in students being able to "sound out" words, to give them some basics from which they can learn to read. I realize the pendulum switched to "whole language", but I personally believe phonics is a better base from which to start. I would teach the student the sounds of each vowel and consonant and then go from there. Rhyming and patterns of letters are very helpful in learning how to read. Having a wide vocabulary is also a tremendous aid for all students, but particularly those learning how to read.
Reading

Reading

Teaching reading was not my first choice in my later years of teaching, but when asked to teach it my last year in TX, I actually enjoyed it. Over the years of subbing, I certainly taught many classes in reading, and during my first years as a teacher, to receive first graders who could not read, and have them exit my room as readers was one of the highlights of my career. Reading is a lifelong skill and absolute joy. I would enjoy working with your child to instill a love of reading and give him/her skills to improve his/her comprehension and understanding of what he's read.
Spelling

Spelling

Some people seem to just know how to spell and some seem to struggle, but there are ways to help learn the language. Sometimes we use rules; sometimes we look for patterns; sometimes we listen for rhyming. For some students, it's easier to spell orally, or for the teacher/tutor to write the words as the student says the letters. For some, it's helpful to study cards on which the spelling words have been written and then the student can look for, or listen to, any patterns and line up the words in some kind of order before the "test" begins. For some students, speaking into a tape recorder helps as he spells and listens to what he's saying. There is more than one way to work on learning to spell the required words!
Study Skills

Study Skills

For the last twenty-five plus (25+) years, I have taught elementary school in Alief, and Katy, Texas. Study Skills: In general, being organized helps most students perform better. It's not a hard and fast rule, but the more organized a student is, the easier it is to be in a routine and the regular studying then becomes part of a daily plan. Having a notebook with sections is invaluable for placing homework assignments and later to retrieve them for the passing in the next day. Parents need to provide a quiet place where the child can do his homework each day. The child needs a routine for daily homework. Some students need a break every half hour or so. Some need to work with a timer. Some need to work orally. Some need to have instrumental music in the background to distract them from enticing home noises. Each child is different, but each child needs a routine to allow him/her to work most effectively.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Just as you hear "Location, location, location" as the three most important parts to buying a house, "vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary" would be the answer to "What's the most important part of learning how to read?" We need to expose children (and adults) to as much vocabulary as possible… for Reading, Math, Social Studies, or any subject! Having a strong vocabulary helps in reading and writing and speaking. To start increasing someone's vocabulary, I would encourage them to read and keep a list of any unfamiliar word they come to. Then I would ask them to look it up and keep a personal dictionary as a reference.
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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (544 ratings)
5 star
(535)
4 star
(9)
3 star
(0)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(0)

Reviews

Patient & Knowledgeable

I wish there were enough great things to say about Cynthia. Day one and my son is already feeling confident I’m sure this school year he will do greater things because of her working with him thank you Cynthia!!

Rickell, 36 lessons with Cynthia

Absolutely Wonderful

Mrs Cynthia, is patient and creative while teaching our son reading skills. She is so good at what she does! I give her all the highest ratings and endless thanks.

Court, 55 lessons with Cynthia

Challenges my kids intellectually

Ms. Cynthia C. does an excellent job of assessing what my children are capable of, and challenging them to grow in their intellect. She is funny, patient, kind, and a great teacher. We've worked with many tutors in the past and she is absolutely the best. We have multiple kids working with her now.

Mary, 22 lessons with Cynthia

Very Attentive to Our Needs

We absolutely adore Ms Cynthia! My Sons Grades have improved In just one semester. And now, we are even working online through this crazy pandemic! She has spent time helping my son learn anything we ask and even more. She is very caring and understanding and patient. We appreciate her more than she knows!

Helen, 117 lessons with Cynthia

My daughter is excited for next lesson

After our first lesson with Cynthia, my daughter was asking me when was her next lesson. She is very excited to work and loved it.

Lexie, 25 lessons with Cynthia

My daughter is excited for next lesson

After our first lesson with Cynthia, my daughter was asking me when was her next lesson. She is very excited to work and loved it.

Lexie, 25 lessons with Cynthia

Great teacher!

I love working with Cynthia! She is great and very patient! Very good teacher, she always makes the lesson easy and fun. I highly recommend Cynthia as your tutor.

Delphine, 83 lessons with Cynthia

Knowledgeable and patient

Ms. Cynthia recently started working with my grandson. However, we are already so impressed with her teaching style and ability to connect immediately him. He’s had other tutors, but has only vocalized his excitement about Ms. Cynthia. Her approach to teaching is fun, encouraging and patient. She truly wants her students to do well, and her ability to inspire him is so appreciated as this is helpful in building his confidence. He now has a positive outlook on learning and his attitude towards doing homework is improving! Considering we’ve only just begun tutoring sessions with Ms. Cynthia, I’m excited just as my grandson is, for me; I knew he was capable of getting better grades, and pairing him with Ms. Cynthia has increased my optimism to the fullest. We realize it also takes family involvement to help motivate and encourage him, and now with Ms. Cynthia help, we have another champion in our corner to achieve great results! While I normally do not write reviews, I felt compelled to let Ms. Cynthia know how thankful our family is to have her tutor my grandson. We look forward to ongoing sessions with her!! Sheila

Sheila, 35 lessons with Cynthia

Great Tutor!

Cynthia did an exceptional job of working with our employees to help them become more well versed in English. This has led to improved communication and productivity within our team. I would highly recommend Cynthia for all of your ESL needs!

Christopher, 15 lessons with Cynthia

Fantastic teacher for our young girls!

Cynthia has been my older daughter's "tutor" since she was less than 3 years old. As full-time working parents, we wanted to make sure our daughter was getting a good explanation of the whys and learning about topics outside of their normal curriculums at preschool. For example, when the latest election was happening, Cynthia discussed the election process with my daughter because it was relevant at the time. Cynthia is amazing with my daughter - extremely attentive, comes prepared, doesn't push too hard but throws topics/challenges out there to see if she's ready, and definitely takes the to explain in a FUN and comforting way. My daughter participates in many different extra-curricular activities, and we've cycled a few activities out to get variety, but she always wants to keep Cynthia in the rotation. :) She looks forward to her sessions with her. Now that my daughter is in grade school, we shifted the approach more towards an academic focus, but my daughter still loves her time with her and thinks it's "fun"! More recently, I started sessions for my younger one who is three years old. My younger one is very strong headed, jumps from one activity/topic to the next and if she doesn't want to do it, she won't do it. We hesitated to start her with Cynthia because I wasn't sure if she would sit through a session or listen to Cynthia for more than five minutes. We decided to try to get her used to sitting down, taking instruction and trying to focus on activities as requested. We shared this goal wit Cynthia and she was game to try. The first few sessions were interesting with my daughter refusing certain activities or refusing to move on from certain activities and getting out of her seat often. Fast forward a couple months and she is sitting down and focused, open to new activities and trying them even if she doesn't think she's interested and she CANNOT wait for her time with Ms. Cynthia! We started with 30 min and we are now at a point where we believe we can expand her time to 45 min, and eventually an hour. Cynthia is FANTASTIC - with a good balance of leading the children, but also listening to their interests and making sure they stay interested. I would highly recommend her for both children and adults!

Jenny, 160 lessons with Cynthia
Hourly Rate: $60
Response time: 3 minutes
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