StephanieM

I have been English tutoring since 2006 and served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English a Foreign Language to students in Ukraine in grades 5-11 and university for two years. I graduated from St. Peter’s University summa cum laude with a bachelors of English literature, minor in communications and graduated summa cum laude with a masters of social welfare (MSW) from SUNY Albany. In undergrad, I was the editor in chief of the student newspaper, I interned at the Long Island Pulse Magazine, and as a professional, I’ve been a ghost writer and copy editor for blogs and websites, a copy editor for Barron’s Educational Series (test prep books), as well as a digital marketing manager and public relations manager for a local nonprofit.

Tutoring Subjects:

I’m enthusiastic about English Language Arts subjects, including grammar, spelling, reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary, SAT Reading and Writing, AP Literature, and AP Language Arts.  I use my professional skills to help prepare my students for success, whether it is finding their voice, learning to self-edit, or answering questions using different strategies.

Ages I’ve worked with:

I work with students in grades 3-12, university students, and adults. I’ve tutored students with a range of abilities and motivations and have worked with students who have developmental disabilities.

My tutoring style: I'm a word nerd. I love English and love sharing it with others. My goal as a tutor is to get you to where you need to be and work myself out of a job. In our first session, we’ll identify your goals and I’ll find ways to work towards those goals. I want to make learning as enjoyable as possible in age-appropriate ways. That means I have games ready for lessons, reading texts that interest your student, and allowing students to be silly (if they feel so inclined). There is always an appropriate balance of fun and learning.

I work with a growth mindset, which means taking the mentality or phrases like “I can’t do it” and changing them to “it’s hard, but I can try.” I give positive, but honest feedback to help students improve.

Success Story:

I began working with a high school sophomore two years ago. She was from Hong Kong and had studied English in school but experienced full immersion when she came to the United State. Her high school enrolled her in ESOL classes. When we first met, she could understand grammar, but had limited vocabulary and struggled to retell things she heard or read. She also could read passages, but it was tiring, and she couldn’t always answer comprehension questions. Within one year she advanced her skills enough and was put into traditional high school classes. This year, she is studying to take the SAT and is aiming for a 1300. There is a huge difference in her ability to retell, her asking clarifying questions, answer comprehension questions, and reading SAT passages at the same level as a native speaker. She has made tremendous progress in a short time, and I know she has the skills to succeed in college. When she compares herself to her peers, I remind her to look where she started and where she is now.

Hobbies:

I love to sew, knit, crochet, paint, upycyle furniture, and just be creative. Crafting is my jam.

Roller Skating is a ton of fun-my skates are black with pink plates (the bar on the bottom), a teal toe cover, and teal wheels. I also have a matching teal helmet.