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Effective English/Writing Tutor and Test Prep - All Levels
Marion P.

4.9 (54 ratings)

135 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $40
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About Marion

Bio

Need a tutor who is also a teacher with experience, excellence, and a love for students?
Here I am!!
I have a BA and an MA in English, have taught in middle school and high school, and am currently teaching in high school and college. In middle school I specialized in teaching reading comprehension and paragraph structure as well as grammar, vocabulary building, and spelling. As a high school instructor, I taught British literature, American literature, World literature, introduction to...

Need a tutor who is also a teacher with experience, excellence, and a love for students?
Here I am!!
I have a BA and an MA in English, have taught in middle school and high school, and am currently teaching in high school and college. In middle school I specialized in teaching reading comprehension and paragraph structure as well as grammar, vocabulary building, and spelling. As a high school instructor, I taught British literature, American literature, World literature, introduction to composition, advanced composition, and Advanced Placement English. At each level of instruction, I have developed independent learning modules for my students so that the pace of learning is comfortable and successful.

Another passion of mine is ISEE, SAT and ACT Test Prep in the areas of reading and writing. Here my tutoring includes subject-specific information and tools/skills as well as test-taking tools because frequently a student's anxiety is what prevents success.

Whether tutoring English or test prep, my focus is always on the one individual student when I tutor and his or her needs. So first I interview the student to find out his or her perception of the strengths and weaknesses in that particular academic discipline. Next, I have my student take a diagnostic test that reveals the strengths and weaknesses. With this information, both anecdotal and statistical, I create an action plan for that student that includes the following: goals to be reached, material to be covered, timeline for covering that material, exit test.

Finally, I teach students, not material - and keeping that in mind as a guide is what makes my tutoring sessions so successful for the student.
As one of my past students put it, "You made me believe in myself and so I learned I could write."

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Education

University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
English
California State University, Los Angeles
Masters
University of La Verne, La Verne, California
Graduate Coursework

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Approved Subjects

ACT English

ACT English

My educational background includes an MA in English and 40 years of experience teaching writing, grammar, reading comprehension, literature at all levels, inclusive of college. I have tutored students in ACT prep for many years. My method for teaching writing and grammar is currently being used in community college classrooms in Texas.
ACT Reading

ACT Reading

I am currently teaching students and have taught students to learn and use reading annotation skills as well as main idea, purpose, argumentation, and organizational structure reading comprehension skills. Along with reading comp skills. I also teach and tutor in mechanics, grammar, and all types of Writing. ACT reading Qualifications: 1. Teach reading comprehension strategies 2. Review basic grammar for sentence completion exercises 3. Usage/Mechanics punctuation grammar and usage sentence structure 4. Rhetorical Skills strategy organization style
ADHD

ADHD

I developed a Special Needs program to mainstream students with ADD/ADHD into regular classrooms with appropriate accommodations administered by the teachers; facilitated monthly round table discussions with teachers and parents about the progress of the student; and met with each student diagnosed with ADD/ADHD to see from their perspective how they felt about their success in the classroom. I am experienced in evaluating students' needs and strengths, working with their teachers, and developing individualized action plans for each student.
College Counseling

College Counseling

Experience: I created a college counseling office in a new high school. This included creating protocols for: parent information nights concerning the college admissions process and financial counseling, student counseling for selection of colleges, student workshops on how to write the college essay, and student workshops on how to answer the questions on a college application. The college essay is always the most difficult for the student and it is the primary way that college admissions officers get to know the student and see whether or not he/she fits the college environment. So, I developed a College Essay Process workbook for writing the college essay step-by-step, from brainstorming to final essay, and the results were successful as students used it. One student applying to Harvard University used the workbook and not only gained admission to Harvard but received the maximum number of points possible on his college essay.
English

English

English was my major in both undergraduate and graduate school - and I graduated with honors in this academic discipline at both the University of San Francisco and Cal State University, Los Angeles. My teaching career started in middle school where I wrote curriculum and was a master teacher in Language Arts, Grammar, Writing, Reading Comprehension. In high school I both mentored other teachers and taught: 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade English which included literature, comp 1 and comp 2, AP English and AP literature. My AP students always passed the test with 4, 5. I also created a program for weak writers and readers called developmental reading and writing and taught teachers how to teach English successfully in that program to struggling students. Currently I am a professor at North Lake College in Irving and teaching developmental writing, comp 1 and comp 2, all literature courses. Teaching English is a passion of mine - and showing students how to be successful in both critical reading and logical writing is my love.
Grammar

Grammar

I have taught English for 40 years and have an MA in English. My areas of specialty include teaching grammar at all levels, including elementary, middle, high school, and college. My method includes using interactive computer programs and handouts as well as PPTs.
ISEE

ISEE

I have prepped students for the Lower Level and Middle Level ISEE test and they have all gained admission to the private school of their choice: Hockaday, Greenhill, ESD. The strategies I use in teaching my students critical reading and essays are as follows: 1. Diagnostic Test to determine areas of strength and weakness 2. Vocabulary 3. Workbooks for teaching reading strategies: main idea, inference which is the most difficult, cause and effect, opinion and fact, etc 4. Formula for the essay structure and practice with it 5. Right before the test we practice basic test taking strategies and do several times ISEE tests.
Literature

Literature

I have an MA in English and have taught college prep literature, AP literature, and college literature for 40 years - and am currently teaching at a local college. I use specific formats for understanding how to analyze fiction, non-fiction, short stories/novels, and poetry. I also use specific templates for learning how to write analytical literary essays.
Reading

Reading

Reading Qualifications: I developed a curriculum for high school freshmen and sophomores that included developing reading comprehension tools and writing tools. I taught freshmen and sophomores in high school to increase reading speed and comprehension.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

The strategies I use: 1. Diagnostic Test to see the types of questions on which the student most needs help 2. Developing strategies for: cause/effect; inference; main idea; purpose of the passage; etc. 3. Building vocabulary with the most frequently used vocabulary words on the SAT 4. Writing a well structured 5 paragraph essay 5. Tools I use: - Online exercises - Handouts - Test Prep books
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

SAT Critical Reading and Writing Tutoring involves the following steps: 1. Diagnostic test to determine strengths and areas of needed improvement; 2. Vocabulary lessons 3. Reading strategies for identifying main idea, purpose, inferences, organization 4. Essay structure and how to write logical paragraphs 5. Test taking strategies 6. Practice worksheets 7. Practice tests I use my own website with multiple aids from PowerPoints to worksheets as well as online practice tests.
Special Needs

Special Needs

I developed a special needs protocol for high schools to use with special needs students that included the following: analyzing the formal testing that was used for diagnosis; using the accommodations/modifications in all academic disciplines and classrooms to build for success; holding round-robin meetings with parents, student, and teachers monthly to track progress and solve any issues.
Study Skills

Study Skills

I have developed a program and used it to develop in students of all ages a set of skills for studying, organization, test prep, and homework. The basics include the following: Unit 1: Organization and Time-Management - How to take notes in class - Keeping a calendar - How to track short term and long term assignments Unit 2: Reading a Textbook - Studying vs. Doing Homework - How to Read a Textbook - Reading Comprehension Strategies Unit 3: Test-Preparation - General Test Prep Tips When Memorizing... - Do's and Don'ts for Proper Test Preparation Unit 4: Test-Taking Strategies - Avoiding Test Anxiety - Test Taking Strategies - Specific Tips by Test-Type
Writing

Writing

I have created a Writing Program that I have used in middle school, high school, and college writing courses. The program involves the following steps and can be adjusted to meet student level: 1. Structuring the Basic Paragraph - a. Defining the 2 parts of the Topic Sentence b. Introducing 2 kinds of supporting sentences: the Primary Support sentence and the Secondary Support sentence. c. Analysis of sample paragraphs d. Writing the basic paragraph - keyed toward the level of the student 2. Writing Process a. Selecting Topic b. Brainstorming Processes - Cluster Maps - Lists - Free writing c. Outlining the Intro and Body Paragraphs d. Drafting e. Editing f. Proofreading g. Final Draft Using this program allows each student to learn not only writing, but also how to think critically about a topic, outline a topic quickly, and then write.
Spelling
Vocabulary
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Ratings and Reviews

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4.9 (54 ratings)
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Reviews

Great Teacher

My son is in high school and he really loves the way Marion teaches, she caters to the students needs and plans accordingly which is very beneficial to the student. she is very patient and explains well until the student gets it. My son enjoys her teaching very much.

Radha, 4 lessons with Marion

Great technique

Marion, You hit the nail on the head with the outline for essay writing. My son said, with a smile, he really liked the session. Thank you!

Ann-Marie, 6 lessons with Marion

The best teacher

My son is a senior this year and taking AP English this year. He is a very smart student, but English is not his best strength at all. We are so lucky that we found Marion this year. She is not only a great teacher, but also a very caring individual. The attention that she has shown toward my son, I have never seen from any other teacher in past 12 years of his learning. The positive reinforcement and method of her teaching is incomparable. She has never made my son feel bad, even when he knows his writing is not good. She always tells him that he can and will improve in his writing ability. I will keep asking Marion to be my son's tutor until he feels comfortable with this subject.

Fatemeh, 11 lessons with Marion

Outstanding

Marion figured my son's needs on the first lesson. We are so glad to have found her and currently working with her to develop his essay skills and self-confidence with writing. She is prompt at returning emails and provides excellent feedback. It's a pleasure to deal with her professionalism and expertise. I highly recommend her.

Walid, 5 lessons with Marion

Excellent Tutor

She was an excellent tutor who helped with my child's college prep activities. She is very experienced and knowledgeable about the process that helped us make the right choices. I would strongly recommend her for college counseling help.

Satish, 12 lessons with Marion
Hourly Rate: $40
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