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Harvard-trained classicist tutors Latin, English, History, and More
Dorothy S. S.

5.0 (192 ratings)

516 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $40
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About Dorothy S.

Bio

I have 30+ years teaching experience in secondary schools and have trained teachers at four major universities: Emory, Brandeis, Boston University, and the University of Pennsylvania. I now tutor in Latin, English, world history, and writing and study skills; I edit books, newsletters, and blogs, and I translate from Latin for the Austin Chancery. I feel strongly that, for many students, organization is the key to success.
I have created a program of vocabulary development, grammar,...

I have 30+ years teaching experience in secondary schools and have trained teachers at four major universities: Emory, Brandeis, Boston University, and the University of Pennsylvania. I now tutor in Latin, English, world history, and writing and study skills; I edit books, newsletters, and blogs, and I translate from Latin for the Austin Chancery. I feel strongly that, for many students, organization is the key to success.
I have created a program of vocabulary development, grammar, figures of speech, poetry, and writing specifically for middle-school students. We also read challenging material, and I bring in classical material whenever possible. Summer is the perfect time to start this program.
I am, first and foremost, a grammarian and can guarantee: if your child works with me for two years, she will know more grammar than anyone in her class - and will be prepared for the grammar and writing sections of the SAT.

I always meet with the student and, if applicable, parent(s) first, at no charge, to assess strengths, weaknesses, preferred style of learning. I have worked with many adults, usually teaching writing, but I have worked with a few older foreign students who needed help with pronunciation and oral communication. Let's meet to assess your needs and determine compatibility.

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Education

Nazareth College of New York, Rochester
Latin and French
Harvard University
Graduate Coursework
  • Licensed teacher

Policies

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Approved Subjects

English

English

I am a Harvard-trained classicist. I taught for over 30 years, mostly in secondary school, and trained teachers at four major universities. Subjects taught include Latin, English, history (ancient, medieval, and renaissance), etymology, study skills, and research paper writing.
Grammar

Grammar

I have taught grammar at every level from middle school to university, using a sequential approach with emphasis on sentence diagrams . My students range in age from 12 to 60+. All have become better writers with this approach.
Latin

Latin

BA magna cum laude in Latin and Sacred Theology. Graduate work at Harvard in Classical Philology. Taught in five states and Canada, public and private institutions, and one college. Trained Latin teachers at four universities. Now translate for the Austin Chancery.
Proofreading

Proofreading

Editing for individuals and firms in a variety of subjects, including educational theory, law, philosophy, engineering, poetry. I am a contributing editor for an online women's magazine, edit a business newsletter, and have helped with numerous college essays and applications. Here are some of my publications: Edited Lichen Kisses by Georgia Santa Maria, 2012. Translation of Latin documents for Austin Diocesan Chancery. On-going editing of all publications and news releases from Smarter Solutions. Edited Vols. II & III of Implementing Six Sigma, Forrest W. Breyfogle, III, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2008. Edited Lean Six Sigma in Sickness and in Health, by Forrest Breyfogle and Arvind Salvekar, Smarter Solutions, 2004. Helped with editing second edition of Implementing Six Sigma, Forrest W. Breyfogle, III, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003. Edited Wisdom on the Green, by Forrest W. Breyfogle, III, David Enck, Phil Flories, Tom Pearson, Smarter Solutions, 2001. Consultant on Outcast, a CD Rom action game, April, 1998. Prepared text of Rome and Carthage at Peace, by Robert E.A. Palmer, Franz Steiner Verlag Stuttgart, 1997. Compiled indices for the following: Conceptualizing Religion, by Benson Saler, E.J. Brill, 1993; Now the News, by Edward Bliss, Jr., Columbia University Press, 1991; The Sacred Polis, by Stephen Scully, Cornell University Press, 1990; Roman Civilization, Vols. I & II, by Lewis and Reinhold, Columbia University Press, 1990.
Reading

Reading

I have taught Classical, English, European, and American literature since 1955. I make use of critical reading techniques and explication du texte methods. I also encourage oral presentation to improve understanding. Vocabulary, grammatical structure, figures of speech are examined thoroughly.
Study Skills

Study Skills

I feel that improvement in study skills is largely a matter of time management, organization, and concentration. I try to understand first the unique intelligence and learning style of the student and then help him to develop effective habits both in and out of class: creating a good study environment, developing study techniques, taking notes, preparing for tests... I will also work with parents, if they wish, to help them help their child: helping with homework, working with teachers, maintaining balance in parenting, and preparing for college and the future. See below for an excerpt from my resume. The private school at which I taught for twenty years emphasized individual development. I worked with numbers of students on study skills, developing individual programs for each student. I also worked with small groups to improve comprehension and to prepare for tests. 1969-June, 1989 Brimmer and May School,Chestnut Hill, MA Taught many courses including Latin, English, Etymology, Introduction to Language, Ancient History, Medieval History, Renaissance History, Women in Society, the Enlightenment, British History, research paper writing, and study skills.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

I am a Harvard-trained classicist. I taught for over 30 years, mostly in secondary school, and trained teachers at four major universities. Subjects taught include Latin, English, history (ancient, medieval, and renaissance), etymology, study skills, and research paper writing. Since 60% of English is Latin-based and my hobby is etymology, I am well prepared to help with vocabulary development.
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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (192 ratings)
5 star
(185)
4 star
(6)
3 star
(1)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(0)

Reviews

Outstanding Tutor!

Dorothy has been an extraordinary mentor and guide for my daughter! Dorothy’s exceptional knowledge and dedication has played a significant role in my daughter’s success and enhancement in Latin and her overall linguistic skills.

Christine, 14 lessons with Dorothy S.
Tutor responded:

Christine is a dedicated and hard-working student. She participates actively in the learning process, asking pertinent questions and helping me to be a better teacher.

knowledgeable and patient teacher

I am taking the HESI A2 soon and need help with the grammar section. After one session, I raised my momentrix practice tests 15 points. Dorothy understands the rules of grammar thoroughly! Well rounded and very patient tutor!

John, 1 lesson with Dorothy S.
Tutor responded:

John is a serious, hard-working student who listens carefully and asks questions. He was a joy to work with.

Knowledgeable and patient tutor whol enjoys people.

Dorothy was a life saving angel for my two children! We needed a grammarian to navigate a new school curriculum that included advanced sentence diagramming, latin and long poetry recitations from memory. Her breadth of knowledge is astounding and her stories woven into lessons not only add to the learning environment, but the children's retention as well. She is a passionate teacher who shares knowledge with every sentence. She is patient, kind, and devoted to seeing her students reach their full potential. She quickly boosted my children's confidence and grades (73 grade turned into an end of the year grade of a 94!), and after they mastered their new curriculum, we could not say goodbye and moved on to a weekly session for enrichment. She is a treasure to keep!

Diana, 32 lessons with Dorothy S.
Tutor responded:

I ordinarily work only with rising seventh graders and up and assumed, since I was told Alexa and Austin were doing advanced diagramming, that they fit that age group. I was astounded when, at the first lesson, in walked what I now call "my munchkins". They are a delightful anomaly: very patient with me and eager to learn. Such fun!

Exceptionally knowledgeable

She is an excellent teacher. Exceptionally knowledgeable, patient and humble. She really looks out for the welfare of the students and challenges my daughter to reach out to her best potential. My daughter Look forward to go to her classes. Couldn’t have find anyone better.

Jyoti, 71 lessons with Dorothy S.

Great tutor.

The best tutor ever. very patient, helpful and professional. very detail class summary. Excellent materials , covered very useful knowledge, Kids like it very much, highly recommended.

Emily, 22 lessons with Dorothy S.

Wonderful Tutor

Dorothy is an awesome tutor .. She goes above and beyond any parent's expectations. She relates very well to my teenage son. She has a huge knowledge of latin that she loves to share. Her guidance for our son has been extremely helpful.

Susan, 5 lessons with Dorothy S.
Tutor responded:

Your son has taken on a huge task: He has enrolled in a new school and joined a Latin class with others who have been studying the subject for two years. He is quick-witted and eager to learn - my favorite kind of student.

Incredible tutor, HIGHLY recommend!

Dorothy is absolutely wonderful and very understanding. She is extremely smart and beyond helpful with grammar. As a grad student, I struggled with deadlines and therefore, my papers suffered as I did not have enough time to edit and carefully check over my grammar. Dorothy was extremely helpful in helping me meet my deadlines and to turn in polished, well-written finalized drafts to my professors. As a second year grad student, the toughest challenged I faced was writing my thesis. I could not have written such a fantastic thesis without Dorothy. She was patient, encouraging, and thorough with each draft I sent her. Dorothy goes above and beyond what is asked of her, as she would edit my rough drafts within a short time limit therefore providing me feedback in time to write a 2nd or even 3rd draft before my deadline. Dorothy also read over the comments from my professors and made sure to fix certain problems in my next draft. I received high praise about my perfect manuscript, I sent in for my final-draft of my thesis, and to that I owe it all to Dorothy. To say "I definitely recommend her" does not do Dorothy justice. Dorothy is the absolute best.

Virginia, 11 lessons with Dorothy S.
Tutor responded:

Virginia is a remarkable student, an excellent writer, and talented researcher who just needed a little encouragement and a ruthless red pen. I kept telling her that her thesis was seminal and ground-breaking. Her professors agreed. Working with her was a delight.

Great tutor!

We came to Dorothy because our 7th grader needed help with Latin. Thanks to Dorothy he has made a lot of progress. Not only does Dorothy teach him this challenging language, she also brings the Roman culture, mythology, and background stories to life in her tutoring. One of the more surprising results was the fact that Dorothy’s Latin tutoring actually helped our son improve his English grammar skills. We are pleased that Dorothy is firm and demands a real effort from our son, while always being positive and patient during her teaching sessions. She is always very enthusiastic when the different parts of Latin are coming together for our son. He has often expressed his gratitude to us for finding Dorothy. She has been a tremendous help to him and we strongly recommend her.

Christine, 52 lessons with Dorothy S.

Fantastic Tutor

We enlisted Dorothy S. to help with my middle schooler's Latin instruction. She is much more than just a tutor; she goes beyond simply teaching the material. If questions come up, she either finds the answer in her extensive library, or sends an e-mail soon after the lesson. For many topics, Dorothy added even more depth by providing background information on Roman politics, culture, religion, etc. I really appreciated the fact that Ms. S shows the parallel between English and Latin grammatical structure. My daughter looked forward to her lessons each week, and was very motivated to complete her assignments.

Kellie, 16 lessons with Dorothy S.

Great tutor.

Ms. Dorothy is an excellent tutor. She engages the student immediately and is very patient with each child. She will work on a personal level with each parent in order to understand the student better and to make sure that the student is on track. My student loves to be tutored by Ms. Dorothy.

Zahida, 17 lessons with Dorothy S.
Hourly Rate: $40
Contact Dorothy S.