Search
Ellen Z.'s Photo

8 Years Teaching English, Writing, and History (Grades 4-12)
Ellen Z.

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $60
Contact Ellen

About Ellen

Bio

I'm Ellen! I graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Florida with a major in history and a minor in biology. In college, I spent a number of hours tutoring my fellow classmates in subjects ranging from history (my favorite!) to trigonometry (not so much...). Those experiences showed me how so many students simply need a little bit more personal attention in order to grasp challenging topics and be successful, both in the classroom and out. I took that lesson with me when I...

I'm Ellen! I graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Florida with a major in history and a minor in biology. In college, I spent a number of hours tutoring my fellow classmates in subjects ranging from history (my favorite!) to trigonometry (not so much...). Those experiences showed me how so many students simply need a little bit more personal attention in order to grasp challenging topics and be successful, both in the classroom and out. I took that lesson with me when I decided to pursue a career in education upon graduation.

During my seven years in the classroom teaching grades 4-12, I have found again and again that students thrive when they feel like an individual with different needs and interests than the rest of the class. Tutoring allows me to give students the individual attention that they deserve. After assessing a starting point and student needs, I am able to craft a personalized tutoring plan--be it for a few lessons or something longer term--that will most benefit the individual student. My seven years in the classroom, as well as time spent tutoring outside of school hours, has given me experience in a number of different methods for reaching students, from visual learners who need help grasping the abstract concepts of grammar to high schoolers who need help rediscovering the excitement of history.

I have both taught and tutored a number of class, ranging from 4th grade core curriculum to high school level history and English, including a number of years spent teaching middle school grammar. I especially love helping students to develop their writing skills and knowledge of grammar through the entire writing process, from brainstorming to final editing and polishing. I have helped many students come to a better understanding of our language and learn how to express their ideas in a thoughtful and coherent way, setting them up for success both in the next grade level and later in life.

I welcome questions and look forward to helping your student thrive!

Read more

Education

University of North Florida
History

Policies

Schedule

Loading...

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Ellen hasn’t set a schedule.

We’re having trouble loading this schedule right now. Please try again later.

Approved Subjects

American History

American History

After graduating summa cum laude from the University of North Florida with a major in history (focusing on American history), I embarked on a classroom teaching career. In the last seven years, I taught 4 years of American history, with 2 years at the senior level in a rigorous private high school, where I built the primary source based curriculum from the ground up.
Elementary Math

Elementary Math

I have 3 years of experience teaching elementary and middle school math, both to students who struggled with the subject and to those who performed above grade level. For two of those years, I worked with very small class sizes, which allowed individual attention to each student. I encourage students to articulate what they already know about the problem at hand and slowly work through the problem in small chunks until they reach the answer. Over time, students learn to recognize different types of problems and the processes that they need to use to find an answer on their own. In this way, they can gain confidence in confronting the most complex of problems!
English

English

I have over 7 years of experience teaching English grammar and writing in the classroom and am particularly familiar with teaching grammar to primary and middle school students. I start by helping students to identify and use basic grammatical principles and then use these to teach increasingly complex structures and rules. I am very familiar with sentence diagramming, which can enable visual learners to fully grasp some of these abstract concepts. In addition, I use short writing exercises that enable the students to practice the rules that they learn, rather than just learning to circle and underline different parts of speech.
Essay Writing

Essay Writing

In my 7+ years of teaching at the primary, middle school, and high school levels, I have attempted to share my passion for good writing with students. I am able to break down the entire writing process--from brain-storming to final editing and polishing--to students at all levels. By learning the writing process, students are able to tackle challenging writing assignments with confidence and express their unique ideas with ease. In addition, my extensive knowledge of English grammar and literature allows me aid students to write coherent and thoughtful academic essays.
Grammar

Grammar

I have over 7 years of experience teaching grammar and writing in the classroom and am particularly familiar with teaching grammar to primary and middle school students. I start by helping students to identify and use basic grammatical principles and then use these to teach increasingly complex structures and rules. I am very familiar with sentence diagramming, which can enable visual learners to fully grasp some of these abstract concepts. In addition, I use short writing exercises that enable the students to practice the rules that they learn, rather than just learning to circle and underline different parts of speech.
Homeschool

Homeschool

My background and experience make me a great fit for parents needing assistance with homeschooling! Not only did my parents choose to homeschool my four siblings and me, my time in brick-and-mortar schools has given me experience building curricula ranging from 4th grade core subjects to high school literature and history courses. In addition, private tutoring has given me an inside look at different approaches to homeschooling, even within the same family. Finally, I have also spent over a year grading for a homeschool program that has given me a new perspective of the administrative side of the process.
Literature

Literature

My love of literature began as a child and is a large part of why I became a teacher. Today, I have over 7 years of experience teaching literature to students ranging in age from 9 to 18. I am familiar with a wide variety of literature and have a particular love for classic British literature, including works by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. In addition, I have taught classes on medieval and American literature. I am able to assist students in understanding plots and character motivations, as well as analyzing stories for themes, motifs, symbols, and more.
Reading

Reading

I have taught reading skills to students at the primary, middle school, and high school levels for over seven years. I am able to help students break down imposing chunks of text into manageable sections that will help them to understand the main ideas that it may contain. In addition, I help students to expand their vocabularies as they encounter unfamiliar words, as this will help them to grasp the complexities of what they are reading. I can also help older or gifted students to further analyze texts to recognize complex and nuanced arguments, understand character development, and identify themes. At all levels, I encourage students to rephrase what they have read into their own words, as this enables them not only to understand what they have read, but also to communicate these ideas to others.
Spelling

Spelling

In my 7+ years of teaching, I have spent a total of four years teaching spelling to students in both 4th grade and in Middle School. I can help students to recognize common spelling patterns, analyze roots and prefixes, and encode complex words. In addition, I am familiar with teaching grade-appropriate word origins, which provides insight into why words are spelled the way they are.
United States History

United States History

After graduating summa cum laude from the University of North Florida with a major in history (focusing on American history), I embarked on a classroom teaching career. In the last seven years, I taught 4 years of United States history, with 2 years at the senior level in a rigorous private high school, where I built the primary source based curriculum from the ground up.
Writing

Writing

In my 7+ years of teaching at the primary, middle school, and high school levels, I have attempted to share my passion for good writing with students. I am able to break down the entire writing process--from brain-storming to final editing and polishing--to students at all levels. By learning the writing process, students are able to tackle challenging writing assignments with confidence and express their unique ideas with ease. In addition, my extensive knowledge of English grammar and literature allows me aid students to write coherent and thoughtful academic essays.
Handwriting
Ellen Z.'s Photo

Questions? Contact Ellen before you book.

Still have questions?

Contact Ellen
Hourly Rate: $60
Contact Ellen