"When tutoring a new student, I first like to get a sense of the student as a whole person, to establish trust and a personal connection. At this point, I try to assess the student's needs by attempting to understand why they are having trouble with the subject, if applicable, or why they want to learn the subject. Sometimes I find it useful to have the student try to teach me what they know so far, so I can grasp where they are with the subject. Then, I try various approaches to understand the individual's learning style, and I use that knowledge to devise strategies to best help the student.

I taught ESL for 12 years through Los Angeles Unified School District, Adult Division. I taught students of all levels and from many different countries. I began teaching high school English when I got my MA in Secondary Education from Loyola Marymount University. I taught all levels of high school English, 9 - 12 for 17 years. I also taught French 1, but would be comfortable tutoring all levels of French.I would also be comfortable tutoring lower levels of Spanish and Italian. I am a published poet and short story writer." less...