Patrick

Microsoft Windows

Since the mid-90's, I've used every incarnation of Microsoft Windows. My current computer--which also boots OSX Mountain Lion--is using the latest version of Windows 8. I've helped people with Metro, which replaced the common Start Menu of Windows.

film

SAT reading

SAT writing

TOEFL

PSAT

ACT Reading

ACT English

study skills

I had a 3.9 GPA at Rutgers University, mostly owing to my excellent study skills. I tend to make itemized lists, setting small milestones for myself which add up to the end goal. I can teach you how to be organized in this way so as to not be overwhelmed.

video production

Macintosh

I've been using Apple computers for over a decade. I've video edited, typed reports, browsed the internet, changed the System Preferences, etc. I've also taught people transitioning from Windows how to use OSX.

ESL/ESOL

I've been involved with Fluencia Online for three years, creating video material to help Portuguese-speaking students learn English. Fluencia Online is a company that believes the key to ESL success is solely speaking in English to the student. This is also the method that I've adopted.

literature

I graduated from Rutgers University with a concentration in English. Besides my degree qualification, I'm also an avid reader of the classics. This is important, because I feel that my passion for the subject matter is passed on to my students. My goal is to make literature fun and come to life. I try to compare the events of a book to modern events, because great literature really is timeless.

proofreading

I know that a typo can ruin an essay; it makes the writer feel less qualified, even if the points he/she makes are valid. I graduated from Rutgers University with an English degree. I had to write so many essays, I lost count. As a result, I became quite good at proofreading. Many of my fellow students began to ask me to proofread their essays too. After I graduated, I began to take freelance jobs as a proofreader for online publications. Sometimes I had to rewrite whole sentences! When I tutor someone in proofreading, I give him/her tips on how to step back from something they've written. Sometimes, you're simply looking at your work too closely!

English

I graduated from Rutgers University with a concentration in English. Besides my degree qualification, I'm also an avid reader and writer. This is important, because I feel that my passion for the subject matter is passed on to my students. I've gotten numerous complements from past students who have told me that, due to my down-to-earth and energetic teaching methods, they've learned to appreciate literature even more.

writing

I graduated from Rutgers University with a concentration in English. Besides my degree qualification, I'm also an avid writer. Ever since I was a boy, I've written short stories, scripts, and poetry. This love of writing has transferred over into my professional life as well: I'm currently involved in putting together a digital magazine and a website with film reviews! I will teach you how to find a voice that's unique, one that's your own.

general computer

Microsoft Word

reading

I graduated from Rutgers University with a concentration in English. Besides my degree qualification, I'm also an avid reader. I try to read at least an hour a day. I feel like it's very important to not just know how to do something, but to care about doing it. That's why I try to make reading something my students can really have fun with. It doesn't have to be a stuffy, boring activity. If you view it as a fun, leisurely hobby, your grades will reflect that and go up.

vocabulary

grammar

I graduated from Rutgers University with a concentration in English. Besides my degree qualification, I'm also a writer. I've written published short stories and am currently working on a screenplay. The key to good writing is--of course--being understood. Without grammar, the author's original message is lost. It goes without saying, then, that I'm a firm believer in grammar. My teaching methods lean more towards providing examples; simply repeating grammar rules over and over make learning stale and boring.