Ben
English Language Arts Tutor
Dear Student, I am eager to be your English Language Arts tutor. I have 4 years of experience teaching 8th-12th grade English to a diversity of students who have come to my class with unique talents and specific needs. (Over the years, I have found that many of my students have shared interests with me, such as music--I am a passionate drummer--movies, art, and, of course, literature.) As I am a Texas teacher, my instruction has also involved ensuring that my students are successful on the ...
autism
I have experience teaching students with various forms of autism. I am aware you may be extremely interested in a specific subject. I also understand that sometimes you can feel very emotional. I am patient with and understanding of both of these qualities. When working with you, I will do my best to bring in your own personal interests into learning material--I know that this will help you be more interested in the subject matter we are learning. I allowed one student in particular to write a procedural text on his favorite video game, Monster Hunter, in order to show understanding of text structure and transition words. Furthermore, I know that you may have your own special way of completing tasks or learning certain subjects. When working with you, I will ask you to explain to me how you believe you learn best, and we will shape your tutoring session from there. I am also willing to explain or illustrate concepts we are learning in as many different ways as possible. What is most important to me is that you feel free to express to me how I may teach you better, and what I could be doing differently to make our tutoring session that much more effective. I know that students like you are exceptionally intelligent, but that you each have your own special way of learning.
ADD/ADHD
Being diagnosed with ADHD myself in my later high school years, I am aware of many issues a student with such a condition may be challenged with throughout the school day. I am also personally familiar with several medications commonly prescribed to control the disorder, including their mental and physical effects. In my tutoring of an ADHD student, I would make sure that my lessons allowed some form of kinesthetic activity (i.e. providing the student regular opportunities to actively engage with materials, rather than expecting them to maintain a state of listening and absorbing information). Also, being aware that many ADHD students need extrasensory activity to maintain focus on a central event, I am open to allowing hyperactive students to be engaged in an ancillary motor activity (such as drawing or squeezing a stress ball) as I deliver instruction. Furthermore, I believe that providing frequent, short breaks helps an ADHD student to maintain concentration.
vocabulary
grammar
reading
writing
English
literature
proofreading
spelling
theatre
Theatrics has been a great love of mine since my early adolescence. In fact, I often wonder why I did not go to school for acting. I began acting in Plano Children's Theater, and continued to act in many roles in high school for the Plano Sr. High Theater Department, as well as for the Oral Interpretation team. I would be effective at helping students discover acting roles, as well as suggest memorization techniques.