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Engaging Tutor/Standardized Testing Coach
Carilyn F.

4.8 (89 ratings)

426 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $70
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Response time: 20 hours

About Carilyn

Bio

I am a former adjunct college professor with over 20 years of experience working with students of all ages—and four years of experience working with learning differences ranging from autism to ADHD—offering assistance in English, history, the life sciences, study skills, and standardized test prep for students in middle school, high school, and college.

I offer standardized test prep for:
-MCAS (ELA Composition Test; History and Social Science)
-NECAP (Reading; Writing)
-HSPT (Verbal,...

I am a former adjunct college professor with over 20 years of experience working with students of all ages—and four years of experience working with learning differences ranging from autism to ADHD—offering assistance in English, history, the life sciences, study skills, and standardized test prep for students in middle school, high school, and college.

I offer standardized test prep for:
-MCAS (ELA Composition Test; History and Social Science)
-NECAP (Reading; Writing)
-HSPT (Verbal, reading, and language)
-PSAT (Critical Reading; Writing)
-SAT (Critical Reading; Writing)
-ACT (English; Reading; Writing)
-MTEL
-PRAXIS I
-PRAXIS II

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Education

Eastern University
Creative Writing and Am. History minor
Rivier University with a Master of Arts in Teaching Composition and Literature
Masters
  • Licensed teacher

Policies

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Approved Subjects

ADHD

ADHD

In a world riddled with labels, I pride myself in not prejudging a student with an ADD/ADHD diagnosis. In my opinion, students with ADD/ADHD are some of the most interesting and creative people! Rather than see it as a handicap, I prefer to see a mind prone to wandering as an asset; divergent thinkers can be great problem solvers because they do not necessarily think in a linear fashion.
American History

American History

As an American History minor at Eastern University, I studied under Allen C. Guelzo, one of the country's experts on the Civil War, who is currently the Director of Civil War Era Studies at Gettysburg College, and three-time winner of the Lincoln Prize for his books Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America, and Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates That Defined America. Dr. Guelzo encouraged us to go beyond mere memorization of the dates of battles to the whys and wherefores behind the battles themselves. He even assigned a research paper on the Revolutionary War that required use of primary sources (I used the journals of Ebenezer Wild, who spent a miserable winter at Valley Forge from 1777-1778). Fifteen years later, I can still remember what he emphasized above all else: "Ideas have consequences!" Find some of his excellent lectures on YouTube!
Bible Studies

Bible Studies

I read and study the Bible regularly, and I excelled in religion classes in high school and in Bible classes in college covering both the Old and New Testaments.
Classics

Classics

I have taught Greek and Roman Mythology in the classroom and in private tutoring sessions. It is fascinating to explore a culture that is responsible for so many aspects of our culture: science, politics, and literature; it even pervades our advertising (consider Ajax cleaner or Midas car repair)! Edith Hamilton's Mythology is a great text to use, and the antics of the gods are always entertaining.
Elementary (K-6th)

Elementary (K-6th)

I am certified to teach grades 5-12 in English Language Arts and have had the pleasure of working with a fifth grader over the summer in order to help him get ready for the rigors of junior high. After he went back to school in the fall, his father emailed and wrote: "I was sitting with Ryan yesterday, and we were talking about the recent Harry Potter book he is reading. He was saying how he still wished he was meeting with [Miss F.], because he liked being able to talk with her about the book. He said that she would raise good questions or fill in blanks about the book that he hadn’t thought of or seen."
English

English

I am a writer. I've probably thought of myself as a "good writer" since the sixth grade, but I can't tell you how "mystical" the process of writing a good thesis-driven essay was when I was in junior high and high school. Once I began teaching and learned how to "de-mystify" the writing process for students, I said to myself, "Why didn't anyone teach me this?" While I was a good writer from an early age, I was not a good reader. I was too much of a perfectionist and wasted time reading and rereading a text, because I thought I had to understand every word instead of reading to get the gist and enjoy the plot. I have developed strategies for reading comprehension over the years, but once again, I wish someone had taught me these things a lot sooner! These are the kinds of tools I want to give my students--whether they struggle with English or not.
ISEE

ISEE

I have had the pleasure of helping students pass the entrance exams required to get into the private school of their choice. One thing that makes the ISEE different from a lot of other standardized tests is that the essay is not graded; it is simply an opportunity for your son or daughter to respond to an age and level-appropriate prompt that gives the school a sample of their writing. The makers of the test generously offer a free test guide and practice test online, so after having a student run though a diagnostic test, I identify their strengths and weaknesses and then focus on the areas where they need the most practice. I have a Master of Arts in Teaching.
Praxis

Praxis

I passed the PRAXIS and MTEL on the first try and have experience helping students master the skills needed to outsmart standardized tests.
Reading

Reading

Active reading is the key to comprehension. Students who practice predicting what will happen next ("I wonder if the neighbor is the thief?"), questioning when they do not understand ("What does that word mean? I'd better look it up. Wait, is it the mother who lost her job or the daughter? I'd better go back and check."), and connecting with the story ("The summer camp the author is describing reminds me of the place we used to go hiking.") comprehend better and are more likely to remember what they have read.
Religion

Religion

I was raised in the Catholic church and attended Catholic high school, but have regularly attended at one time or another a Baptist Church, a Bible Church, a Congregational Church, a non-denominational church, and a Reformed Church. In college, I took classes on the Old and New Testaments, Wisdom Literature (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs), and Foundations of Christian Spirituality. I have always been fascinated with other cultures and religions and have sought to understand the similarities between and differences with my own. Recently, I taught Bless Me, Ultima, a Chicano novel by Rudolfo Anaya that examines a young boy's struggle to synthesize his Aztec roots with his Catholic upbringing.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

I coach students in how to improve their scores in the Reading section of the SAT by reviewing the types of passages they will encounter as well as the kinds of questions they will be asked. I teach them how to prioritize questions, eliminate wasted time, and maximize their efforts. While it seems obvious that students who have a tutor help them prepare for the SAT will do better than students who do not, some of my students, who have already taken the SAT but hire me to help them improve their results, have scored 100 points higher than their previous SAT scores.
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

One of the keys to writing a good essay for the SAT is writing what you know. In the book, "Conquering the SAT: How Parents Can Help Teens Overcome the Pressure and Succeed," by Ned Johnson and Emily Warner Eskelsen, the authors talk about a common mistake students make. They think that the way to impress the reader of their essay is to use big words and name drop (e.g., they describe a student who was trying to write about Henry David Thoreau and his experiences on Walden Pond, but they kept writing "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow"). If you know about Thoreau, write about him; but if your knowledge about him and the facts surrounding him are sketchy, you might be better served writing about, for example, how YOU venture out into nature to deal with stress.
Social Studies

Social Studies

I have a minor in American History from Eastern University and have always been fascinated with the histories of cultures from around the world. I recently viewed a film about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian pastor who was imprisoned and killed for opposing Hitler in WWII, a documentary on the pilgrims, and enjoy learning about the history of other cultures through PBS' program Globe Trekker.
Study Skills

Study Skills

Good study skills are the key to success in school. In my years as a teacher and a tutor, I have discovered that what works for some students does not always work for others, but there are some tried-and-true methods that help all students work smarter and not harder. Things like keeping papers organized and having a designated notebook for each subject--preferably color-coded to match the textbook--are a good start. After getting organized, other executive functioning skills include activating prior learning with a K-W-L chart and working on the hardest homework first before moving onto the easier stuff. Sometimes my students that struggle with school think that "good students" do not need to use mnemonics or other tricks to do their best; but good students are those that use all the possible tools in their arsenal to stay organized, focused, and maximize their potential. I have learned in my years of tutoring that half the battle is encouraging students to believe in themselves and let their hard work do the rest.
Theater

Theater

I taught a theatre elective which included guiding students in the writing of a script for the stage. I directed six productions between 2004 and 2009, including: "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Little Women," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Cyrano de Bergerac," "Arsenic and Old Lace," and "Whose Night at the Improv Asylum Is It Anyway? An Improv Show."
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

The best way to build a varied vocabulary is to read extensively. Barring this experience, the study of root words is an extremely effective way to learn the meanings of many words. For example, the word conscience is made up of two words, con- and -science. If a student knows that the root word "con" means "with," and "scire" means "know," they can get much nearer the meaning of the word.
Writing

Writing

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and have enjoyed demystifying the writing process for my students; this includes brainstorming, writing often and showing samples of good work. It can be done!
ACT Reading
Biology
European History
Geography
Grammar
GRE
Literature
Proofreading
PSAT
World History
Carilyn F.'s Photo

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Response time: 20 hours

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

4.8 (89 ratings)
5 star
(81)
4 star
(5)
3 star
(1)
2 star
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1 star
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Reviews

Amazing tutor!

I began the teaching certification process about nine months ago. After hearing horror stories about multiple failures on the Praxis exams, I decided to reach out to Carilyn for help. She responded very quickly and made herself readily available. She began the sessions with a discussion of what I wanted and interjected her thoughts about how to get me there. Every week (sometimes more) she would spend an hour (or more) with me. She was incredibly kind and patient, spending time reviewing each facet of both exams. Needless to say, I passed both Praxis exams with flying colors, on my first try. I highly, highly, highly recommend Carilyn to anyone looking for a Praxis tutor.

Erich, 14 lessons with Carilyn

Carliyn is kind, professional, and knowledgeable!

Our daughter was truly struggling with her Praxis exam (the social studies part of it) and was in need of a tutor who could guide her in this subject and, also, in test taking strategies. She met with Carilyn for two tutoring sessions, retook her exam and passed with flying colors! I believe Carilyn gave her confidence and guidance on how to approach the exam and this made a huge impact. We would highly recommend her! Thank you.

Ann, 2 lessons with Carilyn

Impressive results!!!

Our son received a very poor midterm grade for ELA so we requested help from Carilyn. We were please to see that in 6 short weeks our sons grades improved by 15 - 20 points. In addition to the improvements in his ELA grade Carilyn has help him see the benefits of learning. It truly helps to have a outside person echo what you have been trying to get across to your child. We highly recommend Carilyn to anyone looking for help, she is fantastic and delivered results!

Melissa, 47 lessons with Carilyn

A children's book for a high school project

Carilyn helped my 9th grader write a children's book as part of an English assignment. My son has great ideas but has a hard time organizing and completing assignments. Carilyn is very good with getting him to organize and complete the assignment. He earned an A+ on the report!

Ann-Marie, 12 lessons with Carilyn

Great Tutor Experience!

Carilyn has been a great tutor for the Praxis. She is patient, kind, and knowledgeable, and her tutoring for the Praxis was successful! I highly recommend her.

Shelda, 25 lessons with Carilyn

Improved my son's SAT Reading and Writing scores

Carilyn's tutoring helped to improve my son's scores in SAT reading by 40 points and writing by 50 points in just 10 sessions. She met with the two of us to review expectations and set a professional relationship from the start. My son found their sessions to be engaging and describes Carilyn as energetic and friendly. He credits her teaching as the sole reason for his improvement on his test scores. I strongly recommend Carilyn as a tutor in reading and writing.

Kendra, 12 lessons with Carilyn

Outstanding Tutor

Carilyn is a very reliable and effective tutor. She has helped two of my children score 100 pts and 80 pts higher on the English section of the SATs, with approximately 10 one hour sessions. She is very engaging and helps keeps the students interested. She additionally helped my daughter with her writing skills in just a handful of sessions, which resulted in her English and History quarterly grades going up by over 5 points each. I certainly would recommend Carilyn.

Bill, 6 lessons with Carilyn

Great!

My daughter is eager to start working with Carilyn. She is approachable and easy to work with! Good communication and knowledgable

Dayna, 10 lessons with Carilyn

Pleasure to work with

My 10th grade daughter has been working with Carilyn since March for overall study skills. Carilyn was able to help her go from C's and D to honor roll this last term. With Carilyn's help, my daughter did better on her finals this year than she has ever done in past. Carilyn motivated my daughter to organize her studying and held her more accountable and that paid off! Carilyn does a great job communicating review of her sessions in a timely manner and is very punctual. Her strengths are History and English and overall reading comprehension. Carilyn is offering a summer on line, interactive program for reading and comprehension but is keeping it interesting using articles etc. not just having them read a book like for school summer reading. Sounds like a great way to keep teens engaged in learning over the summer but can fit in to a busy teen's summer life.

Pam, 11 lessons with Carilyn

Very personable!

Carilyn was very warm and friendly. She met with my son a couple of times, and she was very helpful in giving advice and a quick prep for the HSPT! I would definitely have her help again with any needs for my son! He thought she was really nice too!

William, 2 lessons with Carilyn
Hourly Rate: $70
Response time: 20 hours
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