Certified ELA Teacher to Help w/ Writing, Grammar, or Reading

Dan R.

Hi, I am an SC-certified English teacher with a current professional Teaching Certificate in English, and I have taught writing, literature, rhetoric, grammar, and reading skills to high school and college students. I earned an MA in Teaching English from Winthrop University with Distinction, an MA in English from Cal Poly with Distinction, and an BA in English summa cum laude. I was named Indian Land High School Teacher of the Year for 24-25 and received Cal Poly's (CP) Graduate Teaching Associate Award for Excellence in Teaching.

My experience includes two years of teaching English II & III in a high school classroom, plus two years of college-level core writing instruction in classrooms at CP and the University of Nevada, Reno. I have also worked one-on-one as a writing tutor at CP's Writing and Learning Center while volunteering at the CP Veteran Success Center, helping students with brainstorming, drafting, revising, proofreading, academic English, research, argumentation, and essay organization. I specialize in ELA, essay writing, literary analysis, reading comprehension, grammar, rhetoric, college writing, and revision. I have worked with teenagers, college students, multilingual students, veterans, and students needing support with writing requirements.

My tutoring method is patient, student-directed, and practical. I begin by talking with the student about their strengths and weaknesses with reading and/or writing and what motivates them to develop their ELA skills. These skills often include understanding a writing prompt, developing a thesis, organizing paragraphs, using evidence, explaining analysis, improving grammar, or revising for clarity. I do not simply rewrite papers; I teach students how to make stronger choices so they can become more independent writers. I offer a brief consultation before the first lesson to discuss goals, and I ask students to send prompts, rubrics, drafts, or teacher feedback before we meet.