I love to help people love learning. My first student was my little brother to whom I taught the alphabet when he was four years old and I was seven. And I have just kept going. I taught art history, Western civilization, and a variety of other history offerings for thirty years. For twenty-seven of those years I taught mostly juniors and seniors at a prep school in Oakland, CA. In addition to the study of culture and specific events, a large component of the coursework focused on developing...
I love to help people love learning. My first student was my little brother to whom I taught the alphabet when he was four years old and I was seven. And I have just kept going. I taught art history, Western civilization, and a variety of other history offerings for thirty years. For twenty-seven of those years I taught mostly juniors and seniors at a prep school in Oakland, CA. In addition to the study of culture and specific events, a large component of the coursework focused on developing students' critical thinking and reading skills. Instruction and assignments aimed at helping students become more effective writers were very important. I worked occasionally with lower school students in summer enrichment programs, and I have also worked with high school students for whom English is a second language, in particular helping them prepare for the SAT.
Throughout my career I have especially enjoyed one-on-one teaching because I can tailor the time to the student's needs intellectually and academically and ensure that the student develops mastery of the material in a way that allows him or her to integrate it into both specific and more generalized educational contexts. I also enjoy tutoring because I like students and get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing them succeed and become more confident learners.
The curriculum that I taught in history and art history emphasized writing skills, which including formulation of topic sentences, thesis statements, organization of paragraphs, and effective transitions. The reading components of the courses required discussion of vocabulary and the introduction of many new terms, which allowed students to read, speak and write with more facility. I also did quite a bit of writing myself, both as a student and a teacher.
I enjoy helping students feel confident about meeting the requirements of standardized testing including the core material and strategies for success. I have helped students prepare for standardized tests (SAT and AP exams, in particular).
I have an M.A., a Ph.D. and taught art history for thirty years. I have always loved it and love making art history more accessible and something that matters to students.
I am a recent transplant from California. My move to Wisconsin was prompted by my desire to live close to family. Since I find students and the material I teach very stimulating, I think that I would find tutoring personally rewarding.
