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Reading, Writing, AP Lang and Lit, ISEE, SAT Tutor, 15+ yrs Experience
Lisa W.

3,223 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Hourly Rate: $65
Response time: 2 hours

About Lisa


Bio

Houston native, born and raised! I have a degree in English Literature/Minor in World Cultures from the University of Houston. My junior year of college, one of my professors recruited me to work at her writing center tutoring UH students. This was the moment I discovered teaching! In my senior year I taught freshman English, one of 4 undergrads in the position. After graduation I went right to work for a local tutoring company, quickly becoming their top consultant in college application...

Houston native, born and raised! I have a degree in English Literature/Minor in World Cultures from the University of Houston. My junior year of college, one of my professors recruited me to work at her writing center tutoring UH students. This was the moment I discovered teaching! In my senior year I taught freshman English, one of 4 undergrads in the position. After graduation I went right to work for a local tutoring company, quickly becoming their top consultant in college application essays and verbal test prep. Within a year I transitioned to running my own one-woman tutoring business, which has been my career for the past 15 years. Additionally, for the past 8 years I taught group reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar classes for middle and high school kids at a local learning annex. I now offer my own private group classes, which you can attend in-person or online.
I wasn't always a good student. I went from a high school graduate at the bottom of the third quarter to a self-propelled Magna Cum Laude university graduate, simply because I applied myself to the task and taught myself study skills I'd never had before. That was when the opportunities started to come to me and success came like a rocket! And that's the deep knowledge that underpins my personality as a teacher, which I pass on to my students. A solid base of knowledge, plus the will and skill to work, leads to success. That's what I work to provide- both the knowledge and the motivation.
I'll happily travel to you if you are in the Houston area! Sometimes an in-person lesson does the job better than online can. Or you can come to my in-person classroom in the Spring Branch area. I even have group classes you can join - online or in person - for discounted rates. So many options!


Education

University of Houston
English Literature

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $65
  • Rate details: Strict 24-hour cancellation policy except in the case of emergency or illness
  • Lesson cancellation: 24 hours notice required
  • Background check passed on 2/2/2018

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

ACT English

ACT English

Tutoring with me on standardized tests is less time consuming and more effective than test prep companies that teach one standard curriculum. I can teach you exactly what you need to know based on your current skills. I've worked with thousands of students, and after all these years I am still working for more and better strategies and results every time. Your students get the benefit of that when they are working with me.
ACT Reading

ACT Reading

Tutoring with me on standardized tests is less time consuming and more effective than test prep companies that teach one standard curriculum. I can teach you exactly what you need to know based on your current skills. I've worked with thousands of students, and after all these years I am still working for more and better strategies and results every time. Your students get the benefit of that when they are working with me.
Classics

Classics

I've read practically all the classics, from Twain to Dickens to Harper Lee. And if I haven't read it already, I will read it now so that I can give your student the best assistance! In fact, I enjoy reading new material. At the University of Houston I took courses in Classical Literature and Literary Theory, which focused on the works and philosophies of Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Sappho, Aristotle, Plato, Sophocles and Euripides. I am well qualified to tutor students in Greek and Roman mythology, Homer's Odyssey, and Ovid's Oedipus Rex.
College Counseling

College Counseling

My students have gone on to Yale, Harvard, UT, A&M, Georgetown, UPenn, Michigan and Georgia. Two years in a row my students received the coveted UT 40 Acres scholarship. I can guide you through all of the process, from making a schools list, to brainstorming for essays, managing deadlines, to pressing the "submit" button. I help students avoid common pitfalls, like choosing popular and played-out topics, or choosing colleges for the wrong reasons. The college admissions process can be intimidating and stressful for everyone involved, but I am here to make it a smooth, productive, and winning experience.
Creative Writing

Creative Writing

I have taught creative writing in the classroom for years, as well as mentored individual students on Scholastic and Ayn Rand writing competitions. Literally every student I've worked with on these competitions has had their work chosen for recognition, including gold and silver keys at Scholastic. My success comes from my emphasis on believability, dialogue, current zeitgeist, and telling detail. I also engage my students in reading appreciation, showing them great authors across genres to inspire and educate. In addition to one on one, I usually have at least one weekly group writing class for kids available for deeply discounted rates. It's a great way to get kids to love writing! Send me a message to inquire about dates and times.
Elementary Math

Elementary Math

There are a few rules I work by when tutoring elementary math: Use dry erase lap boards, because writing with markers magically makes it more fun; use real life examples - money for decimals, and recipes and craft instructions for fractions; and make sure that not only the times tables but also addition, subtraction and division mental math are down pat.
English

English

With a degree in Literature, 15 years of tutoring experience, and 8 years' experience teaching group reading, writing and grammar classes, I have a thorough understanding of junior high and high school English curriculum. Reach out and tell me about your particular needs and we can make a plan, whether it's for short term or ongoing individual support or for group classes. I'll tailor it to you so you get exactly what you need.
Fiction Writing

Fiction Writing

I have taught fiction writing in the classroom for years, as well as mentored individual students on Scholastic and Ayn Rand writing competitions. Literally every student I've worked with on these competitions has had their work chosen for recognition, including gold and silver keys at Scholastic. My success comes from my emphasis on believability, dialogue, current zeitgeist, and telling detail. I also engage my students in reading appreciation, showing them great authors across genres to inspire and educate. In addition to one on one, I usually have at least one weekly group writing class for kids available to join for 35 dollars per student. It's a great way to get kids to love writing! Send me a message to inquire about dates and times.
Grammar

Grammar

I teach grammar to students from junior high through adult, native English speakers as well as ESL students from a variety of countries. My approach is to teach grammar in a practical way, using sentences that incorporate everyday situations and phrases. My method takes the intimidation out of learning the subject and gives students information they can use not only in the classroom but also on standardized tests like the ACT and SAT.
ISEE

ISEE

I tutor the verbal sections for all levels of the test, as well as Lower ISEE math. My students routinely improve up to 4 stanines and have been accepted to Kinkaid, Duchesne, St. Thomas, St. John's, Awty, Episcopal, St. Agnes and Strake Jesuit. I also provide guidance for the private school application process with interview prep and application essay support for both students and parents.
Literature

Literature

With a degree in Literature and 15 years of tutoring experience, I have a thorough understanding of classic junior high and high school literature curriculum, and if by chance I have not read something a student is assigned, I'll read it too! In fact, I enjoy reading new books because I like the novelty (no dust on this brain!) and because I can tutor a text with fresh eyes and show students a working example of how to read the text to meet the teacher's expectations.
PSAT

PSAT

Tutoring with me on standardized tests is less time consuming and more effective than test prep companies that teach one standard curriculum. I can teach you exactly what you need to know based on your current skills. I've worked with thousands of students, and after all these years I am still working for more and better strategies and results every time. Your students get the benefit of that when they are working with me.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

Tutoring with me on standardized tests is less time consuming and more effective than test prep companies that teach one standard curriculum. I can teach you exactly what you need to know based on your current skills. I've worked with thousands of students, and after all these years I am still working for more and better strategies and results every time. Your students get the benefit of that when they are working with me.
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

Tutoring with me on standardized tests is less time consuming and more effective than test prep companies that teach one standard curriculum. I can teach you exactly what you need to know based on your current skills. I've worked with thousands of students, and after all these years I am still working for more and better strategies and results every time. Your students get the benefit of that when they are working with me.
Writing

Writing

When lockdown started in 2020, all the group classes I taught on weekends at a local learning annex pivoted to online overnight, right in the middle of the spring semester. What evolved over the next few weeks changed the way I teach writing forever...for the better! It turns out that getting all the students together on one writing document - no paper, no pens, everyone's work in the open - led to the across-the-board improvement I'd been searching for for years. Especially these middle school boys - you know, immature, no detail, don't know what to write - wow do they improve when you add collaboration and competition to the task. My classes became famous at the learning annex, with some students taking my classes so many times I had to create years' worth of lessons to keep things fresh. While the kids write their response, I write my own example response for all the assignments so the kids see my work too and get inspired by it. (After completing every assignment I've ever assigned, I'm a writing beast!) So if you have a student who needs to improve their general writing skills, reach out and talk to me about the possibility of putting them in one of my group classes, which I feel so very confident are more effective than one on one tutoring, and cheaper too.
Reading
SSAT
Vocabulary

Examples of Expertise


Lisa has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 1 question submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

Lisa W.'s Photo

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Response time: 2 hours

Ratings and Reviews


Rating

5.0 (604 ratings)
5 star
(587)
4 star
(15)
3 star
(0)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(2)

Reviews

great wealth of knowledge

Lisa knows her stuff!!!! Not only is my daughter improving with her writing but her standardized test scores went up big time!

Valerie, 38 lessons with Lisa

A tutor who helps your children "think" differently.

So far so good. Lisa is reaching my boys with different thought techniques for their upcoming SAT. She is patient and takes the time to explain the reasons behind the answers. I would highly recommend.

Jennifer, 9 lessons with Lisa

Very helpful and puts in the work! A's for the last three years, including AP English Lang

Lisa has been great for my son. She makes the time to schedule extra lessons when necessary, communication is great, and most importantly she is invested in my son's needs and assignments. She will take the time to read works she isn't familiar with and her writing help has been fantastic. My son has been with her 9th through 11th grade so far and received an award for the highest grade in his AP English Language class. I highly recommend Lisa if you are looking for an English tutor at any level!

Allen, 96 lessons with Lisa

knowledgeable and dedicated tutor

My son began struggling with classic novels after entering 10th grade, so I started looking for a tutor on Wyzant. Lisa’s profile stood out to me because she mentioned that she reads the same books students are assigned in class. That level of commitment impressed me, so I decided to hire her. I really appreciate Lisa’s personality—she’s straightforward, open, and flexible. Most importantly, she followed through on her promise. She read every book my son was assigned and provided him with thoughtful, effective guidance. He enjoys working with her and feels more confident in his reading and understanding. I highly recommend Lisa to any parent or student looking for a dedicated and knowledgeable tutor.

Yan, 13 lessons with Lisa

5 star

Exceptional tutoring for our 5th grader! Her approach to introducing and reinforcing ICEE concepts is both fun and effective. Our child is genuinely excited for each session and has shown notable progress. We are truly grateful for her dedication and expertise.

Shahin, 43 lessons with Lisa

Knowledgeable Mentor to the kids

Ms. Lisa has been a very impressive educator to our son. She definitely shows qualified skills and knowledge about the teaching material. But most importantly, she has a subtle and elegant way to encourage child to critical thinking, challenging the status quo mindset, and these all contribute to a child that, all of sudden, wants to learn, try, and practice their study. She is an observer during initial sessions, make efforts to communicate and learn how the child thinks and works out tailored plan for the child. Definitely a good educator to trust and recommend.

David, 16 lessons with Lisa

Knowledgeable, professional & prepared tutor

Lisa came prepared to the session to help my daughter map out a prompt for a 12 page college paper on a British novel. She was excellent with helping my daughter brainstorm some ideas for her paper and organize her thoughts. She had a great experience working with Lisa will definitely seek help from her again.

Anne, 1 lesson with Lisa

Good ISEE tutor

Lisa helped my daughter prepare for the ISEE test. It was the first time for her to take a test. Lisa taught her strategies and time management. My daughter felt confident when test day came. Her scores greatly improved from the practice test she took initially.

Diane, 8 lessons with Lisa

knowledgeable and encouraging tutor

Lisa worked with my son for almost 2 months to prepare him for the ISEE test. She was very knowledgeable, encouraging, and easy to work with. She even had homework for him between lessons which I loved. My son is well prepared and feels so much more confident after working with Lisa.

Danielle, 6 lessons with Lisa

Engaging and connected tutor

Lisa connected with my daughter, who is zoom-weary already and was reluctant to add more at home schoolwork. She found common ground with her and soon I heard engaging conversation and laughter! She tailored her style to what I knew my daughter needed and to what she learned in their first session.

AMY, 2 lessons with Lisa
Hourly Rate: $65
Response time: 2 hours
Contact Lisa