Joyce
Published Author Excels at Coaching Young Writers
With more than five years experience teaching in the NYC Public School system, I began tutoring homebound students with special needs. Student C, a Chinese-American boy who'd not attended school even one day of his sixth grade year, needed over the summer to pass the test to advance to the seventh. C at first refused to leave his room. He'd been traumatized by the "tough" school in his new neighborhood. I'd been at the school to pick up text books, so I knew what he meant. Outside his door I...
dyslexia
ballet
ESL/ESOL
ADHD
Aspergers
Twice during my teaching experience I've had students diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. My research on the subject revealed Asperger's as a mild form of Asperger's that is often mistakenly seen as a personality disorder. Asperger's does however share with the many manifestations of autism a difficulty in communicating, especially in matters of emotion. Physically, Aspergers people, (generally male) may flap their hands when excited and tend to walk on tip toe. It is not yet known why this is so. Both of my students were male and in their early teen years. Both liked to play video games and spent inordinate amounts of time doing this. I've read that certain companies, especially software companies, like to recruit Aspergers people because of their ability to concentrate intensely at computer tasks. My strategies for working with these boys involved patience and a methodical approach. In other words, a step by step approach in reading and writing. For instance, first identifying theme and than brain storming all possible connections for writing essays.
phonics
study skills
Theater
theatre
I was a professional dancer/singer before returning to college for my teaching degree. I performed Off-Broadway, in summer stock, and dinner theaters. Last summer I taught dance for the Methodist Theater Camp in Stonybrook, NY and choreographed THE LION KING and THE LITTLE MERMAID. I studied acting with the Hollywood Actors' Repertory Theater in Los Angeles, choreographing David Rabe's IN THE BOOM BOOM ROOM starring Julie Newmar and also appeared in the production.
special needs
elementary (k-6th)
elementary science
ACT English
ASVAB
spelling
ACT Reading
SAT writing
proofreading
SAT reading
GED
vocabulary
grammar
prealgebra
reading
writing
English
literature
world history
ADD/ADHD
Since beginning my teaching career in 2003 I would estimate that at least 70% of my students have had to cope with some level of ADD/ADHD. At Florida International University from which I graduated Summa Cum Laude in Elementary Education, I learned several strategies to deal with this problem: an emphasis on kinesthetic activities such as construction of pyramids using plastic straws, and use of manipulative tasks in math. While all these strategies were useful in my teaching, I found the greatest benefit to be my patience and engagement with the students. My own enthusiasm, it seemed, help them to focus. In five years of teaching adolescent boys at the jail, Rikers Island, called Island Academy, I found that often ADD/ADHD, when not properly addressed in early years, contributed to a boy's preference for life on the streets. There, the percentage of these students was much higher, and required every facility I had for engagement. My success in preparing boys to take and pass the GED has been acknowledged in letters from a former assistant principal, and verbal thanks from many parents.
Staci S. from Weaverville, NC
Joyce is a very patient tutor with my son who struggles with dyslexia. In just a few lessons my son was able to learn more than he had with several lessons with past tutors. Anyone who has a child who is struggling with reading and dyslexia can tell you how heartbreaking it is watching your child go through this. Joyce has given our son back the confidence he needs to show him that he can succeed. We are so happy we found her and are looking forward to seeing him advance significantly in this area.