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Academic and Writing Coach — UNC PhD English Language and Literature
Steven K.

5.0 (2,046 ratings)

6,267 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $125
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Response time: 12 minutes

About Steven

Bio

I earned my BA, MA and PhD in English Language and Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill, where I specialized in English Literature with a Medieval Studies specialty in British Languages and Literature. I have been coaching writers and guiding students to academic success since 1985.

As a teaching fellow at UNC-Chapel Hill and a professor at Marist College, I taught writing, literature, and humanities courses. I later served for over a decade as Executive Director of the Wade Edwards Learning...

I earned my BA, MA and PhD in English Language and Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill, where I specialized in English Literature with a Medieval Studies specialty in British Languages and Literature. I have been coaching writers and guiding students to academic success since 1985.

As a teaching fellow at UNC-Chapel Hill and a professor at Marist College, I taught writing, literature, and humanities courses. I later served for over a decade as Executive Director of the Wade Edwards Learning Lab, a non-profit after-school academic support center for Wake County Public School System high schoolers. More recently, I reviewed and substantially revised hundres of resumes for MBA candidates at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School–program leadership described this work as "incredible and unequaled."

My approach is process-driven. I teach students to understand what assignments are prompting, to develop clear arguments, and then to revise with intention–skills that transfer to every course and every job. Because I have written tests and academic assessments myself, I know exactly what examiners are looking for from the inside.

My Latin students range from beginner to advanced and AP. They thrive by teaching me to understand the passages we are working on. As we read together, I correct in real time, and we interpret together. One student's grade went from a C to an A within a few weeks and stayed there for the rest of the year.

My goal is always independence, to foster students who confidently say, "I've got this now."

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Education

UNC-Chapel Hill
English
UNC-Chapel Hill
Masters
UNC-Chapel Hill
PhD

Policies

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Approved Subjects

ACT English

ACT English

I approach ACT English preparation from a perspective most tutors can't offer: I have written tests and academic assessments, so I understand from the inside exactly what the exam is measuring and why. My students build genuine skills in grammar, rhetoric, usage, and punctuation — not just test-taking tricks — which is why their results hold up and transfer directly to their academic writing. One student raised his ACT English score from a 22 to a 34 working with me. I hold a PhD in English Language and Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill and have been coaching students in writing and language since 1985.
English

English

I hold a PhD in English Language and Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill, where I specialized in the history of written language, literary studies, and classical and medieval Latin. I have taught English at every level–from developmental composition and ESL to advanced literary scholarship–both as a college professor at UNC and Marist College, and as a private academic and writing coach. I work with students across the full range of English skills: reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, literary analysis, research writing, and oral and written communication. Whether a student is building foundational skills or preparing for an AP exam, a standardized test, or a demanding college seminar, I bring a professor's knowledge of the subject and a coach's patience to every session. I have been tutoring English since 1985.
Essay Writing

Essay Writing

I teach essay writing as a process, not a product. My students learn to read assignments strategically, develop clear arguments, draft with purpose, and revise with precision–skills that transfer across every course and discipline. Having written and graded academic assessments myself as a college professor, I understand exactly what instructors are looking for from the inside. I work line-by-line through drafts with students who need hands-on guidance, and I prepare them to face prompts known and unknown, from final exams with timed essays to college application personal statements.and supplementary answers. My students range from struggling first-year writers to advanced graduate scholars, from high school ELA writers to PhD candidates. I earned my PhD in English Language and Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill and have been coaching essay writers ever since.
Grammar

Grammar

Grammar is the foundation of clear, confident writing–and one of the most teachable skills. I hold a PhD in English Language and Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill, where I studied the history of the English language alongside Latin, Germanic, Romance, and Celtic languages. That deep linguistic background gives me an unusually precise understanding of how English grammar works and why. I teach grammar not as a list of rules to memorize but as a set of tools students can apply immediately to their own writing and test-taking. My students see improvement in both their written work and their standardized test scores — one student raised his ACT English score from a 22 to a 34. Whether the goal is stronger sentences, better essay structure, or mastering SAT or ACT grammar conventions, I build the skills that transfer across every subject and every level.
Latin

Latin

I hold an MA and PhD in Medieval Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill, where I read and translated primary Latin texts spanning antiquity through the Renaissance–classical, ecclesiastical, scientific, literary, and historical. My dissertation traced how Irish scholars transmitted the work of Bede through Hiberno-Latin commentary in the Carolingian schools, giving my Latin tutoring an unusual scholarly depth. My teaching method is distinctive. I typically open by asking students to teach me some Latin–surfacing what they know, exposing gaps, and immediately making the material feel more manageable. Then we read together, I correct in real time, and we interpret meaning as a team. I encourage students to contemplate not just the words of Caesar and Vergil, Cicero or Pliny the Younger, but also the motives and thoughts of authors and their characters–treating Latin as literature, not a decoding exercise. One student's grade went from a C to an A within weeks and stayed there for the rest of the year. I tutor all levels: introductory through AP Latin, classical, medieval, and ecclesiastical.
Literature

Literature

I hold a PhD in English Language and Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill, where I studied literary history from antiquity through the modern period across multiple languages and traditions. I have taught literature courses at the college level–at UNC and Marist College–and have coached literature students from high school AP through doctoral seminars for over four decades. I approach literature the way it deserves to be approached: not as a text to decode for a grade, but as a conversation worth having. I help students understand how authors construct their works, how literature works to achieve its effects, and how to write about it with precision and confidence. In one first session, a self-described "snobby" student noted she was "very impressed" after I covered significant literary history with simple detail and memorable language. Whether the goal is a stronger analytical essay, deeper comprehension, or AP exam preparation, I bring both scholarly depth and genuine enthusiasm to every lesson.
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

I approach SAT Writing preparation as a means of becoming a stronger writer, not just as a way to become a better test taker. My students build genuine skills in grammar, rhetoric, usage, and evidence-based writing that transfer directly to their academic work, not just their test scores. I hold a PhD in English Language and Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill and have been coaching students in writing and language since 1985. My method is patient, strategic, and grounded in a professor's understanding of what strong writing actually looks like.
Writing

Writing

Editing, revision, and proofreading are my superpowers. I hold a PhD in English Language and Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill, where began teaching Basic Writing through the Writing Center. I then developed and delivered college level composition courses from Basic Writing through researched argument. I later taught writing and literature at Marist College before serving for over a decade as Executive Director of a non-profit academic support center in Raleigh NC. I work with students at every level: high school writers learning to construct an argument, college students developing an academic voice, graduate students polishing dissertation chapters, MBA candidates preparing for competitive job markets, and professionals polishing business writing skills or a standout resume. My line-by-line approach to revision teaches writers to see their own work clearly and make real decisions–not guesses. I have been coaching writers since 1985.
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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (2,046 ratings)
5 star
(2,036)
4 star
(9)
3 star
(1)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(0)

Reviews

Wonderful tutor, great to work with

We highly recommend Steven for tutoring in English: writing, editing reading comprehension, literature. He is superb! Steven has worked with our high school son and on occasion our college daughter. He has helped with all kinds of writing for different classes, English, vocabulary, grammar, SAT, ACT, college admission essays, presentations, editing, resumes, building self confidence and more. Spending many hours with Steven, in person, on the phone, and online, we can vouch for his excellent character as he is kind, patient, knowledgeable, honest, dependable, and really takes an interest in his clients. He has gone the extra mile for our son. We have used many tutors over the years and Steven by far surpasses all of them. He has gone beyond our expectations. Our son who always hated writing and English said, "Writing is fun." and "I've learned more this semester from Steven than in all my years of school in English." Steven has made himself completely available to our children 24/7 and they feel extremely comfortable calling on him. Our children will continue to call on Steven for help through college and through their journey in life.

John, 143 lessons with Steven

so helpful!

Steven has been helping my daughter study for her final. He’s been so helpful, with little to no direction or insight on what the prompt for the assignments will be. He’s prepped our daughter for many scenarios so she feels prepared!

Mia, 23 lessons with Steven

Outstanding Tutor

Steven has been working with my son on English 10 over the past few months, and I couldn't be happier with the progress he has made. Steven is not only knowledgeable and skilled, but also incredibly patient and understanding. Steven always tailored the lessons to suit my son's learning style and pace, making complex concepts easy to grasp. He is also available at relatively short notice and accommodative, which is quite helpful. Thanks to Steven, my son feels well-prepared and more confident in his abilities. His grades and skills have been on the upward trend. I highly recommend Steven to anyone seeking a dedicated and effective tutor.

M, 13 lessons with Steven

so helpful!

Steven has been helping my daughter study for her midterms. He’s been so helpful, with little to no direction or insight on what the prompt for the assignments will be. He’s prepped our daughter for many scenarios so she feels prepared!

Mia, 23 lessons with Steven

very talented teacher!!!

Steven is beyond believe best tutor we met. The quality ,and care!!! My son loves him! He truly believes Steven is incredibly talented tutor.

Larissa , 27 lessons with Steven

passionate,patient and knowledgable!

My son loves his tutor and enjoys studying further with Steven. He is very experienced and knowledgeable to help teenagers to fall in love with reading and writing. My son got a higher grade in writing recently and feels more confident that he can write quickly with rich resources. I think confidence is the first step for a good writer!

Sherry, 35 lessons with Steven

Extremely Knowledgeable and capable tutor/teacher

He helped me raised my English ACT score from a 22 to a 34. He is an amazing teacher and very professional in all aspects. I have a lot of positives I could say, but I would rather just let the numbers do the talking.

Melissa, 22 lessons with Steven

Excellent Tutor

My daughter has taken Eight lessons from Steven and so far so good. My daughter says that she learns a lot from revising her own writing under Steven’s instructions. I also want to thank Wyzant for letting my daughter have the chance to learn from such an excellent tutor.

Lynn, 45 lessons with Steven

STEVEN is cute

I love steven he has great stories, funny accents, and is an awesome person. Also very talented and passionate. Steven and I have been working on English essays and SAT and he helped me score over 600 on the English section of SAT and I have started really enjoying the writing process. -Keller

Janine, 69 lessons with Steven

Patient tutor

My son isn't a big fan of English class but has enjoyed his time with Steven. He's finally gaining an understanding of how to properly write an essay and how to express his thoughts. I appreciate the literal line-by-line approach of working through a writing session. My son who was apprehensive in the beginning now looks forward to his lessons.

Kimberly, 20 lessons with Steven
Hourly Rate: $125
Response time: 12 minutes
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