Gaye W.
Katy, TX
Certified English, Writing & Journalism Teacher
University of Texas, Austin
JournalismHouston Baptist University
OtherCenter for Advanced Legal Studies
OtherAbout Gaye
Hello! Thanks for visiting my profile! I am a former middle and high school English and journalism teacher who has worked as a teacher, tutor and mentor for more than 20 years.
I am available to tutor in most subjects and concentrate on helping students prepare for standardized exams, including the GED, ACT, SAT, TOEFL, GRE and GMAT
Policies
Cancellation
36 hours notice requiredSessions cancelled within 24 hours of a scheduled meeting will be billed at the full hourly rate for the entire scheduled session.
Travel Radius
Travels within 25 miles of Katy, TX 77450"Prepared, professional and friendly"
- Tiffany, Katy, TX on 12/16/11Gaye more than exceeded my expectations. She was friendly, relatable and very prepared- she arrived for my daughter's first session with items to work on. She also explained to me after the session what she sensed my daughter needed help with and it was great input. I'm going to continue to have her help my daughter- my daughter also really liked Gaye and felt very comfortable.
"Great tutor and very responsive!"
- Esther, Katy, TX on 4/6/12Gaye was very quick to respond. She did a great job helping me brush up my skills on Micosoft Word and Excel in preparation for a new job. I would highly recommend her to anyone needing help in this area.
"Very Knowledgeable tutor"
- Nadim, Houston, TX on 4/2/12Gaye's extensive knowledge of SAT has been a great help teaching my son how to best approach preparing for SATs. She has also provided great assistance in preparing essays for applications and has offered several amazing alternative suggestions. I was amazed to hear her spin to a subject that I assumed was moot and turn it into a very delightful and fresh concept. I completely trust her knowledge of English and she has been able to answer all of my son's questions. I am very happy that she is tutoring my son and we are looking forward to great SAT results due to her efforts.
Thanks Gaye.
"Very patient"
- Qi, Pearland, TX on 4/1/12Last Thursday my daughter had her first class
with Ms. Gaye. She liked it so much. Ms. Gaye is very nice, patient and well prepared. She listens to our request. Thanks.
"happy with the result :)"
- Julia, Houston, TX on 2/9/12I was happy with her help on my college admission essays. We worked on grammar, wording corrections, and advice on content. She provides the corrections marked with a different color so they easily show on your essays. Overall, I'm happy with the result.
"Great Tutor!"
- Merlyn, Katy, TX on 2/6/12I am very impressed with the tutoring that Gaye has been providing my son. She is a very positive and encouraging tutor. She is also very patient and friendly. I would certainly recommend her to any one.
"knowledgeable and flexible"
- Cheryl, Houston, TX on 1/23/12Gaye is helping me, an older adult, improve my skills with using a computer. She is very knowledgeable and is open to whatever I'd like to learn. She is prompt, pleasant, a good teacher, and even provides notes for me to use to review what she's taught me.
"super tutor"
- PATIENCE, Richmond, TX on 1/23/12Ms Gaye is a super tutor, she is very professional and keeps to time. She has an understanding of the subject and the test requirement. She has the needed materials and how and where you can get them for yourself. Ms Gaye, you sure know your stuff, please keep it up.
"Great Tutor!"
- Deborah, Sugar Land, TX on 1/19/12Ms. Gaye, was on time and very friendly. My daughter seemed to feel comfortable with her right away and so did I. She also came prepared and ready to dive right into things. Throughout the session my daughter was engaged in learning and the entire session went very smoothly. Thank you so much for a great tutoring session. We look forward to next week.
"Attentive to needs"
- Jennifer, Katy, TX on 1/18/12Gaye has been wonderful to work with. She is prompt to arrive for meetings. She makes notes to keep track of my goals and arrives prepared to help me make progress towards them each time we meet. She is polite, professional, and articulate. I feel fortunate to have found her and look forward to working with her in the future.
"First Time User / Great Tutor"
- Diane, Katy, TX on 1/18/12Last night was my first time to utilize a tutor from WyzAnt for my daughter, and I was extremely satisfied. Gaye came to our house and was on time, and well prepared. She is full of knowledgeable information that is relevant for my daughter, and came well prepared for the session. My daughter seemed to really like Gaye. She said she was friendly, and very helpful. We look forward to many more sessions to help my daughter prepare for the SAT.
"Very friendly and knowledgable"
- Abdullah, Houston, TX on 1/4/12She come to the meeting on time and really she was prepared with number of references and aids that helped me to discover my weaknesses. Besides the class, we had good conversations. I'm willing to continue these classes with her and recommend her to friends.
"AMAZING!"
- Kristina, Sugar Land, TX on 12/12/11Gaye is absolutely amazing! She comes to our tutor lessons 110% ready, with materials and supplies. She is supper energetic and will tell you straight up what you need and don't need to do. I would definitely suggest her to any of my family members or friends who are having trouble in English or anything else she is able to teach for that matter.
Approved subjects are in bold.
Approved subjects
In most cases, tutors gain approval in a subject by passing a proficiency exam. For some subject areas, like music and art, tutors submit written requests to demonstrate their proficiency to potential students. If a tutor is interested but not yet approved in a subject, the subject will appear in non-bold font. Tutors need to be approved in a subject prior to beginning lessons.
ADHD
In addition to being diagnosed with ADD myself, I have several years of experience working with students diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. Because school creates multiple challenges for students with ADD, I work with the student and parents to create an effective plan to overcome these obstacles. The strategies we develop allows the student to thrive in the classroom.
By implementing practical strategies for learning, students are able to meet learning challenges and experience success at school. Some of the strategies we address include effective communication, behavior modification plans, organization and goal setting.
I have worked with ADD students for several years and know my strategies and techniques benefit everyone involved.
Adobe InDesign
As a graphic designer, I use InDesign to create various projects for clients and have been using the program for five years or so. I also used InDesign's predecessor, PageMaker, when I taught journalism and QuarkXpress at UT when I wrote for the college yearbook.
I currently use InDesign for two books I am writing. Both are creative expressions; one a cookbook and another an event planning guide.
Adobe Photoshop
I taught yearbook, newspaper, broadcast and photojournalism in Houston and Fort Bend where my students utilized Photoshop. Additionally, I work as a freelance graphic designer where I consistently use Photoshop to produce my work.
American History
I possess a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin and secondary teacher certification in English, journalism and speech communication from Houston Baptist University. I also possess more than 30 graduate hours in education with a concentration in reading enrichment, also completed at HBU.
Although I taught secondary English and journalism for five years, my mother was a history teacher for 35 years and instilled a great amount of my love for history through her teaching. I placed out of American History at the University of Texas, and thus did not have to take the classes during my college years. Although I cannot recite every detail of every historical event without cross-checking my references from time to time, I have a strong understanding of American history, World history and government and therefore believe I am fully qualified to assist someone with tutoring in this subject area.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
I possess a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin and secondary teacher certification in English, journalism and speech communication from Houston Baptist University. I also possess more than 30 graduate hours in education with a concentration in reading enrichment, also completed at HBU.
During my five years of teaching I worked with students of all abilities including several students with spectrum disorders and/or autism. My older brother (who is now in his early 40s) was born blind and is considered a severe autistic. I gained a great deal of my experience working with him. I have volunteered at a group home here in Houston which caters to children and adults with spectrum disorders. Additionally, I have worked with my cousin's daughter, who is severely autistic, and a friend's son, who is considered mild.
Before I changed my major to journalism during my junior year of college, I was a speech-language pathology major with a concentration in autism and the deaf. While someone might question my commitment to working with the autistic or the deaf, I only did so because I knew I would eventually be fully responsible for my older brother, and I did not want a full-time job that extended into my home life.
Although I do not possess special ed certification, I can guarantee I am extremely experienced in working with autistic children and assisting them with school work, personal care and more.
Career Development
As a former high school teacher who worked predominately in inner-city schools, I developed a program to assist students in planning for their futures. Utilizing the career path skills I obtained as a member of the business sorority at The University of Texas at Austin, I assist students and adults with resumes, cover letters, thank you notes and interviewing skills. I am very adept at helping others focus on their abilities to develop a career path based on their interests and successes.
In addition to assisting others with career development, I served as the in-house recruiter of a small company here in Houston. I also own a small business in which I write resumes for job applicants and create templates for cover letters and thank you notes. My skills have enabled others to create their career path, whether just starting out as a college student or a recent high school or college graduate ready to take the next steps in their professional lives.
College Counseling
In addition to my skills as a career counselor, I have a lot of experience working with college-bound students. I have worked with students of all ages and abilities; my forte is honing in on students scholastic abilities and interests and helping them find the right college, coursework and major to create the foundation for their future careers.
While in college at The University of Texas at Austin, I worked part-time as a college counselor in the College of Communication. Additionally, during my years as a high school teacher, I assisted college-bound students with college course selection. I have also worked with students whose parents were uncertain of whether their child could succeed in a college setting because of the child's mental or scholastic abilities.
I have a strong understanding of college curricula and requirements, as well as which courses and extracurricular activities prospective graduate schools and potential employers want candidates to possess.
Cooking
I love to cook! I began cooking at an early age with my grandmother and mother; many of my recipes are passed down from earlier generations.
In my spare time, I enjoy entertaining friends and family and am known for my lavish affairs. I have catered all kinds of events, from small baby showers with 20 to 30 guests to holiday parties and formal gatherings with more than 200 people.
I am currently writing two cookbooks. One is a Kosher cookbook compiling family recipes that I am working on with my mom, and the other is a larger-scale entertainment book that includes my recipes, arts & craft projects, graphic designs and more stemming from my annual Halloween party.
In addition to my own experience as a chef, I have assisted several restaurants with their menus. I have also written articles on the history and culture of certain food ceremonies, such as teatime.
Criminal Justice
I possess paralegal certification from the Center for Advanced Legal Studies and earned an A in my criminal law class. In addition, I served as a researcher and writer for a local judge who was writing an intense law journal article on the criminal justice system, specifically on the writ of habeas corpus for a death row inmate. I have significant experience in the legal field and can definitely assist students with their studies in this field.
Desktop Publishing
I taught yearbook, newspaper, broadcast and photojournalism in Houston and Fort Bend where my students utilized desktop publishing software. When I left teaching and entered the corporate world, I often utilized publishing programs to create newsletters, brochures and other promotional advertisements. I currently work as a freelance graphic designer where I consistently use publishing software such as PageMaker to produce my work. I also have strong knowledge of Microsoft Publisher, InDesign and QuarkXpress.
Dyslexia
During graduate school I took several classes in reading enrichment. In these classes we learned about dyslexia and were given specific techniques for working with dyslexic students.
While teaching I had several students who were dyslexic. We utilized reading overlays and worked on copying from the blackboard, spelling, and reading. My techniques allowed many of my students to overcome their fear of classroom subjects and master the skills they needed to succeed in their studies.
I am able to work with students of all abilities. While dyslexia may be a disability, the techniques I use allow my students to prevent their disability from becoming a handicap.
Elementary (K-6th)
I possess teacher certification in secondary English, journalism and speech communication (6-12 grades). However, I have taught elementary-aged students for several years. In addition to teaching second-grade Sunday school, I taught reading enrichment, science and photography to elementary-aged students (grades 1-5) during the summers at Wharton County Junior College Kids' College and currently teach reading enrichment and writing part-time at a private school to grades 3 through 6. I am a volunteer for a reading program in my school district at the elementary school by my home. Additionally, before becoming a certified teacher, I served as a substitute teacher at two private Houston-area schools. The majority of my classes were at the elementary level.
Prior to teaching I worked as a camp counselor at a local summer camp throughout high school. My campers were also elementary-aged students, grades Pre-K through 5.
I am able to tutor in all elementary subjects including basic study skills and organization. I have worked with students of all abilities, including students with learning disabilities and dyslexia.
English
I possess a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin and secondary teacher certification in English, journalism and speech communication from Houston Baptist University.
I taught English at the middle school and high school levels for five years and continue to assist students in this subject area as both a tutor and mentor.
ESL/ESOL
During my career as a teacher, the majority of my years were spent in inner-city high schools. As such, I had many students who had difficulty with the English language. While almost all of my students were English-speaking, English was not a first language for many of them, and my students had difficulties with everyday communication and higher-level language, especially with unfamiliar words.
Before changing my major to journalism, I studied speech-language pathology. I worked directly with autistic and Deaf children and adults, working with them on pronunciation and verbalization of words. I believe this experience contributes to my work with ESL and ESOL students.
Additionally, I have tutored students preparing for the TOEFL and SLEP exams and students enrolled in English and writing classes at the college level.
GED
I taught English and journalism at the middle school and high school levels for six years and have been in education as a tutor and mentor for more than 20 years. All GED students I have tutored passed all areas of the GED on their first try. I have taught GED classes to students of all ages, learning styles and abilities.
Grammar
As an English teacher, I taught grammar to my students. We reviewed proper sentence structure, use of words, parts of a sentence, punctuation and more.
GRE
I taught English and journalism at the middle school and high school levels for six years and have been in education as a tutor and mentor for more than 20 years. All my GRE students significantly increased their scores. Others were able to obtain their desired score on their first try by using the knowledge they gained from our tutoring sessions. For many, it widened their acceptance to colleges and universities.
Hard Of Hearing
I possess a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin and secondary teacher certification in English, journalism and speech communication from Houston Baptist University. Prior to changing my major to journalism during my junior year of college, I was a speech-language pathology major with a concentration on autism and the Deaf. I taught American Sign Language for two years at the high school level. My students learned sign language and covered Deaf culture. Although I am no longer a full-time teacher, I continue to work with hard of hearing and Deaf students, thus utilizing my sign language skills to communicate effectively. I have a lot of experience working with the hearing impaired. In addition to working with humans, I have used sign language to train deaf animals including my dog Charlie.
Hebrew
I am Jewish and speak basic conversational Hebrew. I grew up in a conservative synagogue and attending Hebrew school for ten years. I was Bat Mitzvahed by myself - I didn't even have a rabbi to help as my synagogue was between rabbis at the time. Thus, I have a strong understanding of the prayer services and read and write Hebrew well. I have assisted students with preparing for their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs for several years, concentrating mainly on the prayer service.
I am not fluent in conversational Hebrew, so if you are looking to speak Hebrew fluently, I am not the ideal tutor for you. (I can help with basic conversational Hebrew, however.)
If you want to learn Biblical Hebrew or to be able to follow along during services, I am definitely able to assist you with that.
Law
I earned my paralegal certification from the Center for Advanced Legal Studies here in Houston, where I graduated at the top of my class while working full time. For the last nine years, I have worked as a full-time paralegal for both law firms and corporations.
Although my background focuses on intellectual property, personal injury, products liability, commercial litigation, general civil litigation corporate law and appeals, I have experience working in family law, wills and probate, pharmaceutical litigation and criminal law. My last position was with Farouk Systems, the maker of the CHI hair straightening iron, as the Brand Manager. In that position, I oversaw all anti-counterfeiting and brand protection measures of the company.
During paralegal school, I was inducted into Lambda Epsilon Chi, the national legal honor society reserved for students with outstanding grade point averages who have shown a commitment to the legal field and profession.
Literature
As an English teacher I covered literature with my students. I am well-versed on poetry, short stories, novels and more. I also took several literature classes at UT as English literature was my minor.
MCAT
I have a lot of experience helping students prepare various standardized exams. For the MCAT, I assist students on the verbal reasoning skills and writing sections.
For verbal reasoning, we concentrate on the actual test topics: reading comprehension, evaluation of specific passages, application of knowledge to predict results, and incorporation. For writing, we work on interpretation of topic statements and developing writing skills so the student is able to succinctly communicate a response to each of the two writing prompts.
My skills as an English and writing teacher benefits students seeking to score a 15T on the verbal and writing portions of the MCAT.
Microsoft Outlook
I am well-versed in Microsoft Outlook and able to teach others how to successfully use the program to manage their contacts, calendar and electronic mail. I have used Outlook almost since its inception - I used it sparingly as a teacher but all the time as a paralegal. Outlook continues to be my application of choice for my personal e-mail as well.
Microsoft Windows
As someone who teaches basic computer skills, I am very adept at working with Windows, especially Windows 7, and able to provide excellent instruction on Windows basics as well as navigation. While I currently utilize Windows 7, I am able to help students with XP, Vista and earlier versions as well.
Phonics
I have worked with students of all ages in phonics. Initially a speech-language pathology major at The University of Texas at Austin, I predominately assisted Deaf children and those who suffer from autism. I continue to work with students in speech and am a certified speech instructor as well.
Photography
I have been interested in photography since I was a young child with my first Polaroid camera. In addition to my Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin, I possess teacher certification in journalism from Houston Baptist University. I have taught photography to all ages - both in middle school and high school as well as to elementary-aged kids during the summers at Wharton County Junior College Kids' College. I can help students improve their picture-taking abilities, work with Photoshop, find the right camera and learn the functions of their cameras, too.
Public Speaking
As a certified speech communication teacher, I have a lot of experience working with students to develop their public speaking. Additionally, as a teacher I obviously have a strong ability to speak to a large audience. Outside of teaching, I have delivered speeches to audiences of all sizes. I can help students research and write their speeches, understand techniques of successful speaking and become more confident in their delivery.
Sign Language
I possess a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin and secondary teacher certification in English, journalism and speech communication from Houston Baptist University. Prior to changing my major to journalism during my junior year of college, I was a speech-language pathology major with a concentration on autism and the Deaf.
I taught American Sign Language for two years at the high school level. My students learned sign language and covered Deaf culture. Although I am no longer a full-time teacher, I continue to work with hard of hearing and Deaf students, thus utilizing my sign language skills to communicate effectively.
Special Needs
I possess a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a secondary teacher certification in English, journalism and speech communication from Houston Baptist University. I also possess more than 30 graduate hours in education with a concentration in reading enrichment, also completed at HBU.
During my five years of teaching I worked with students of all abilities including several students classified as special needs. I became interested in working with special needs students because my older brother (who is now in his 40s) is blind and autistic. Since high school, I have volunteered for several organizations that cater to people with special needs, including a group home here in Houston.
I am currently enrolled in a correspondence program to obtain my Braille certification through the National Federation of the Blind in conjunction with the Library of Congress. My projected completion date for Braille certification is early 2013.
Although I do not possess special ed certification, I can guarantee I am extremely experienced in working with children and adults with special needs.
Speech
I possess a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin and secondary teacher certification in English, journalism and speech communication from Houston Baptist University.
I taught English at the middle school and high school levels for five years and continue to assist students in this subject area as both a tutor and mentor. I also taught speech communication at the middle school level for one year.
Additionally, before changing my major to journalism during my third year of college, I was a speech-language pathology major with a focus on the autistic and the deaf.
Spelling
As an English teacher I taught and graded spelling. I also encouraged my students to participate in the school spelling bee and coached students as well.
Study Skills
I have assisted students and adults with study skills for several years and was doing so long before I became a teacher.
In high school I volunteered for a local organization that houses teen-agers and adults with significant learning disabilities. I worked with them to create and stick to a study plan, using various techniques to set priorities and goals and carry out their assigned tasks in a proficient and appropriate manner. I continued to assist students of this nature throughout my college years as well, as my older brother is blind and autistic and lived in the home in which I volunteered.
As a teacher, I often had students who lacked any sort of direction in terms of studying, organizing their materials and staying on task. Although I used many of the tactics I created while working at the group home, as a teacher I learned additional skills to assist me in helping students succeed in and outside the classroom.
I continue to help students from elementary school all the way up to college and graduate school with organization, study skills, and various techniques to help them achieve their desired results. Parents are always pleased with my tactics for helping their children.
TAKS
Although the TAKS exam has since been replaced by STARR, I have significant experience training students to take and pass the exams. I predominately work with students in reading comprehension and writing but can assist students with basic math skills as well. When I was a teacher, my students consistently showed significant improvement over the previous years' test results. I continue to prepare students for the STARR exam and use initial assessments to determine their current abilities and goals for success.
TOEFL
I taught English and journalism at the middle school and high school levels for six years and have been in education as a tutor and mentor for more than 20 years. I have tutored students from all over the world for the TOEFL exam, including students from Morocco, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Africa, Korea, China, Mexico, Middle and South America and the Middle East. Some of my TOEFL students came to me after failing the TOEFL exam several times. Others were able to obtain their desired score on their first try by using the knowledge they gained from our tutoring sessions. I have experience working with students of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, and I have extensive experience teaching ESL-based classes.
Vocabulary
As an English teacher I covered vocabulary. I believe a strong vocabulary is imperative for students especially those who plan to enroll in college and take the SAT. My students covered 20 new vocabulary words a week and were graded on the definitions, spelling and their ability to use the words in a creative story.
Web Design
I have experience working with WordPress to design websites. In addition to having my own website which I designed in WordPress, I recently designed the website for my high school class's 20th reunion.
I am able to assist others with basic modifications, cPanel, email and other applicable tasks. I am also happy to give the links to my websites upon request.
Writing
I possess a Bachelor of Journalism in News and Public Affairs with a concentration on Media Law and Ethics from The University of Texas at Austin. I minored in English at UT and later earned my secondary teaching certification in journalism and English from Houston Baptist University. I am a published, award-winning author and have written for newspapers and magazines. I recently served as the Communications Coordinator for a Fortune 50 company here in Houston. In addition to working as a freelance writer, I edit and proofread material for several published book authors and appellate attorneys. Three of the legal briefs I have edited were for the United States Supreme Court. I am an outstanding writer and able to help students of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
Other Katy, TX Tutors
Gaye W.
Katy, TX
Certified English, Writing & Journalism Teacher