"My name is Alex. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature. I then worked as a freelance writer for some time, then got a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Now I work at a middle school, where I help students with their reading and writing.

I have 16 years of experience teaching and tutoring students in English composition, grammar, and reading skills. I have worked with middle school, high school, and college students. I have also worked with adult and returning students.

I have found that the best way to help students struggling in writing is to first make sure they understand the assignment and the teacher’s requirements, then help them brainstorm ideas and different approaches to the assignment. Some students will need more help than others at this stage, but I always hang back a little and let students actually come up with the ideas and approaches themselves. I then give students feedback as needed. After a student has completed the assignment, I then work with him or her to make sure his or her ideas are clear, and his or her writing does not contain grammatical errors. I then prompt and guide the student to recognize and correct grammatical or structural errors in his or her writing, thus teaching the student to proofread his or her work.

My approach to reading instruction is to have the student read the text as slow as he or she needs, and coach the student on annotation in order to facilitate close reading. I then help the student find main ideas and supporting ideas.

Please reach out with any questions or if you would like to schedule a consultation.

What makes you an outstanding English tutor?

I have been teaching and tutoring college and high school students in English composition since 2006, so I have had a long time to perfect my teaching methods. I strive to create an environment where a student is engaged in the work and enjoys learning to read and write effectively.

Before each tutoring session, I carefully look at the student’s assignment and respect" less...