Patient ELL & literacy specialist — English, reading, writing & h

Steven P.

Every student I've worked with has hit a moment where the material in front of them felt impossible, and the part of this work I love most is helping them get to the other side of that moment. I'm a certified teacher with an active Washington State teaching certificate and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Washington, where I earned endorsements in History and English Language Learning. I also hold a bachelor's degree in History from UW, and I am currently completing a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology.
From 2021 to 2024, I taught multilingual learners in grades six through eight at a middle school in Renton, Washington, where I also served as the ELL Department Chair and coordinated school-wide language testing. Alongside and before that, I worked one-on-one with students — providing individual reading support to elementary students and one-on-one academic and behavioral intervention for students with special needs. So I've taught in both the classroom and the focused, one-on-one setting that tutoring calls for, with students ranging from elementary age through adults.
My approach is simple and student-centered. We start from your own assignment, reading, or the test you're worried about, and we work through it together — no lectures and no busywork. I explain concepts more than one way until one of them clicks, I meet each student where they are, and I keep the pressure low so learning actually feels possible. My specialty is supporting multilingual learners and building reading and writing confidence. Whether you're a student who feels stuck or a parent looking for someone patient and dependable, I'd be glad to help.