Experienced English Educator, Specializing in TOEFL & IELTS Prep

Jennifer W.

ACT Reading

I am an English Language Arts and English as a Second Language instructor. I have been working with students on reading comprehension for 18 years now. Additionally, I am well versed in the rules and structure of the ACT and in the best practices for students preparing to take this test, including the Reading section.

Common Core

I have been working with students in grades K-12 for quite a few years now. In order to help my pupils succeed in school and on standardized tests, familiarity with Common Core requirements is vital on my part. I create individualized curricula for each of my students, and one of the major factors determining the focus of my lesson plans is the Common Core requirements for the pupil's grade level and area of study.

Drawing

I have studied art for many years - in school, private lessons, and in college. My favorite method is drawing and therefore this has been the focus of my studies in fine art. Having learned drawing techniques in a variety of media, including ebony pencil, colored pencil, felt-tip pen, chalk, charcoal, and China crayon and being familiar with still life, nature, architectural, and life drawing, I am amply qualified to instruct others in these areas.

Elementary (K-6th)

In the matter of training and education, I am certified in the teaching of English and English as a Second/Foreign Language. Additionally, I graduated college magna cum laude with a B.A. in political science, demonstrating my familiarity with a variety of topics in the arts and sciences, including English, children's literature, American government, ethics, history, geography, mathematics, biology, and chemistry, a general sub-sect of which comprises an elementary school curriculum. At this point, I have many years' experience working with elementary school-aged students. Back in high school I volunteered as a teacher's aide in a Sunday school for a class of six- and seven-year-olds. In college, I tutored with Ohio Reads, working one-on-one with second graders who had tested below grade level in reading. Since then, I have successfully tutored a number of elementary aged students in a variety of subjects.

Elementary Math

I have been working one-on-one with elementary schoolers since my very first tutoring job at the age of 18. I love working with children, and am certified to instruct on the core curriculum for grades K-6. I am particularly fond of educating kids about math and English.

English

English is quite a challenging language to learn, and becoming truly skillful at communicating in English takes time, effort, and dedication. This is true for both learners of English as a second language and for native speakers of English. Mastering English involves careful attention to detail, and what I do with my English students is try to get as accurate an idea as possible of an individual students’ level of competence. I do this by administering a diagnostic test which I have designed to evaluate an individual’s proficiency in English, to indicate a student’s areas of strength and weakness. From there I am able to devise individualized lessons and activities designed to address my student’s specific difficulties. I incorporate as many games and other fun activities as possible into my lessons, to engage the student's interest and also to help reduce the stress a student may feel when he or she has been struggling with a particular subject for a period of time. People learn more readily when they are relaxed, and can even grow to enjoy the learning process. Learning can be fun when the course material is interesting to the learner, and when the learner can see the progress he or she is making. I make a point of regularly discussing a student’s progress with him or her, as noticeable progress can be a powerful motivator for a student. I love learning about and teaching the English language. Conveying my enthusiasm to my students is, I feel sure, beneficial to them, and can lead to their developing a more active interest, as well as greater proficiency, in the subject.

ESL/ESOL

I am a Certified Teacher of English as a Second/Foreign Language. I took a 100-hour certification course and graduated near the top of my class. I have been tutoring international students for several years now, and many things that I learned in my certification course I have found to be useful in my tutoring. I learned the difference between L1 learners of English, children who are born into an English-speaking society - and actually somewhat passively acquire rather than learn the language - and L2 students, who are people for whom English is not their mother tongue and must actively learn the language. In learning the difference between these two groups of language learners, I have gained an awareness of the challenges faced by nonnative English language users, and I have learned methods for helping these individuals overcome these difficulties. Effective language teaching involves instruction in all four modes of communication – speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Speaking and writing are active skills – the speaker has to be able communicate in a manner comprehensible to the listener. Likewise, the writer must write in a way that the intended reader can understand. As a teacher, it is readily apparent if the student is speaking and writing grammatically and comprehensibly. Listening and reading, however, are passive skills; they happen internally, so whether a student is understanding what he or she is reading or hearing is not readily observable to the instructor. The certification course material, therefore, covered activities appropriate for building students’ skills in all four types of communication as well as ways of concept checking to ascertain whether the student has mastered the skill at hand. My coursework covered how to plan effective lessons by first clearly and succinctly stating the lesson goals and then by creating Warm-up drills, Controlled Practice exercises, and Semi-controlled Enrichment activities, interspersed with regular concept checking. My certification coursework

Fitness

I have been working with individuals for the past year reach their fitness goals, be their goals weight-loss; nutrition and meal planning; strength training; or increased endurance or flexibility. I, myself, work with a fitness coach and am on a nutritious meal plan. I follow a daily regimen of exercises which include cardio, strength training, Pilates, Yoga, and ballet. By pursuing my own fitness and goals, I have learned a lot about what it takes to meet said goals and am eager to share my knowledge with others. For example, I am able to calculate the number of calories a person must take in to lose weight based on their activity level and current weight. I can also recommend specific fitness and nutrition regimens based on an individual's current fitness level, eating habits, and overall fitness goals. Working out is not only good for the body but for the mind, as well. With good health comes greater mental clarity and the ability to achieve more in other areas of life - and I would dearly like to help others become healthier, happier, and more productive in this way.

GED

I am familiar with the format and content of the GED and have prepared a number of students for this exam.

GMAT

I have worked with several students over the last few years who were preparing to take the GMAT test. As such, I have made a point of it to familiarize myself with the test and with strategies for success specific to this test.

Grammar

If you were taught English in an American school in the last few decades, chances are your grammar education was less than stellar. Lots of native speakers of English have a pretty mediocre understanding of English grammar... because so did their English teachers! Surprising but true - grammar has suffered widespread neglect for decades in the American educational system. In order to be a better writer and a better teacher, I have gone out of my way to learn the intricacies of English grammar. I sought out English grammar courses in college and continued my grammar education with an intense study of the subject in my teaching certification coursework. Many people react to the very mention of grammar with displeasure or downright disgust. I believe this attitude stems from the fact that these individuals were never properly taught English grammar to begin with and therefore find the subject baffling and frustrating. I, on the other hand, honestly like grammar. I like learning about it, and I like sharing my interest in grammar with others in my teaching of it. Grammar is not inherently boring or scary; it takes time and patience to master, like any discipline, but is not inherently unpleasant. Grammar can even be fun: let me show you how.

Handwriting

I am an experienced D’Nealian instructor with over ten years of experience working with children on their handwriting. Handwriting is a necessary skill for all children to acquire, although many kids would disagree with me on this point. Handwriting is not just a question of making legible letters and words but of the development of fine motor skills applied to a specific endeavor. I therefore begin with exercises designed to develop these fine motor skills. When I judge that they are ready, I then transition my students to handwriting skills. This method has worked for me time and time again and I believe that even those students with the most difficulties with handwriting can improve by following these steps.

IELTS

As a certified teacher of English to speakers of other languages, one of my responsibilities is to help prepare non-native English speakers for a variety of standardized tests. These tests provide evidence that the test taker is proficient in the English language and has the competence to attend a university or carry out a job in an English-speaking country. One such test is the IELTS, for which I have prepared quite a few students in my tenure as an English instructor.

Phonics

Phonics, a study of the building blocks of spoken words - the sounds that letters make - is a subject I am intimately acquainted with, having studied phonology, the science of sound creation in speech, in my coursework preparatory to my becoming a teacher of English as a Second/Foreign Language. I am experienced in teaching phonics both to my adult students of English as a Second Language and to my elementary school students. Learning how to "sound out" words is a serious undertaking in a language as complicated as English, and I am sympathetic to those who are making the effort to do this. With patience, perseverance, and a positive attitude, however, I am confident I can help struggling students master this important skill.

Reading

Being a confident reader is one of the most important skills for a person to comfortably negotiate the world we live in. Not only is reading necessary to succeed academically and in the job world, it can be a creative outlet, a means of relaxation, a step toward personal empowerment, and a way to encounter new ideas, places, and people. Reading on a regular basis is, moreover, THE best way to improve ones vocabulary, which is of both personal benefit and translates directly into higher test scores. I love the English language - reading it, writing it, and teaching it. I feel lucky to have the opportunity to share my interest with others - with children, adults, with anyone who has a desire to learn. It's okay if you, or your child, or whomever my student is, doesn't like to read. I enjoy introducing the joys and benefits of reading to doubters. I look forward to hearing from you!

SAT Reading

Having worked as an English instructor for the last 18 years, I am well versed in the content of the SAT reading exam. I am familiar with the setup of the test and the most effective methods for studying for and taking the exam. In addition, I keep myself up to date on any changes that the test-makers periodically make to the exam itself.

SAT Writing

I have been an English teacher for over a dozen years now, which includes the teaching of argumentative and expository writing. As these are the skills tested in the SAT Writing portion, I am confident in my ability to prepare students for this exam.

TOEFL

I feel very comfortable preparing students for the TOEFL iBT test. With a background in teaching English to students new to the United States and to the English language, helping students excel on an English language test is the kind of teaching I do on a regular basis.

Voice (Music)

I have an extensive background in music. At the age of seven I was enrolled in musical theory classes. Shortly thereafter I began to participate in youth and community theater and was particularly interested in performing in musicals. To this end, I took private voice lessons. This helped me land leading roles in amateur productions including "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," "The Wizard of Oz," "Aladdin," "Patience," and "The Mikado." I continued to participate in choral activities throughout college. Now, with thirty years of experience in this area, I am amply qualified to train others in voice.

Writing

As far back as I can remember, I have loved to write. Whether prose, poetry, or academic essay, the process of writing and editing is something I find deeply satisfying. Writing can be likened to sculpting. One must choose just the right words, those that best express the meaning attempted at be conveyed. The words will need arranging into sentences, not only for grammatical correctness, but to insure that the sentences convey the precisely intended meaning of the writer. Additionally, each sentence will need to be harmoniously strung together, each flowing logically from the previous one, while at the same time building on the main idea of the overall statement. This requires the use of appropriate conjunctions, causing each individual sentences to glide gracefully into the next one and then the next - a cascade of sentences and paragraphs becoming a cohesive, comprehensive whole. After the first draft has been written, the writer will then move on from the initial writing stage to a series of revisions. I like to envision the movement from creating that first draft to the stages of its revision as a shift from sculpting to whittling. When editing, the piece needs to be examined and reexamined, checked for typos; spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors; and awkward phraseology. This is like smoothing out a sculpture's rough edges - sections of the initial structure which do not quite convey the intended meaning; pieces which don't quite flow together as desired. By means of a series of alterations, the writer can achieve the grace of the completed piece, the sculpture of writing and thought. Writing is a discipline as well as an art form. In this way, good writing requires as much work, endurance, and determination to accept set-backs, learn from mistakes, and persevere as any other skilled practice. This is difficult, sometimes outright arduous, just like training for a marathon, or studying to be a painter or a pianist. Like each of these pursuits, however, the payoff for all the mistakes, ach

Yoga

I have been taking Hatha yoga, restorative yoga, and meditation classes for eight years now, and I follow a regular yoga practice at home. I have found these practices to be extremely beneficial for my overall physical and psychological wellbeing. Not only have I vastly improved my flexibility and balance, I have become more aware of my body's mechanics and the way I carry myself throughout the day. This has enabled me to make adjustments when I find myself in a non-ergonomic position. This in turn minimizes my discomfort when having to sit for a long time or carry out a task that requires heavy lifting or repetitive motion. Yoga and meditation has also helped me learn to quiet my mind when I get stressed out or overwhelmed, allowing me to go about my day in a more relaxed and focused way. I would recommend yoga practice to everyone, as I have found it to be so personally beneficial, and I am eager to share what I have learned with others.