Amanda: Newport tutor

Certified Tutor

I received my BA in English Literature from Macalester College, a private, liberal arts institution in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2012. This May, I completed my Masters in English Literature at the University of Colorado at Boulder. While at CU, I was hired as an English and Writing tutor for college student-athletes in the Herbst Academic Center. I met with students every week, not only gaining experience tutoring in numerous different English courses and writing classes across disciplines, but also building relationships with my students, acting as a mentor, and learning how to adjust to different students learning styles and interests. I also had two semesters of teaching experience at CU, as a Teaching Assistant for an upper-level course, Modern and Contemporary Literature for non-majors, and as a graduate teacher for an introductory level course, Writing about Literature and Literature about Writing. In these roles, I was responsible for teaching my own recitation sections, creating and grading assignments, leading discussions, teaching writing, and meeting with students one-on-one and in small groups during office hours. Additionally, I acted as a liason between the students and the professor, communicating effectively to ensure the accomplishment of learning objectives.

In addition to tutoring all kinds of English, literature, and writing courses, and although those subjects are my favorites, I am also available to tutor for GRE verbal, SAT and ACT reading and writing, and AP test prep. Additionally, I have professional experience tutoring elementary and middle school students in phonics, reading, writing, and all aspects of literacy. After graduating from college, I served for one year as an AmeriCorps Literacy VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) in a low-income after-school program. During that service year, I created and implemented grade-level literacy assessments and a tutoring program for which I recruited, trained, and supervised several volunteers. The following year, I continued my work as a member of the community centers full-time staff and took on larger teaching, tutoring, and classroom management roles.

My teaching philosophy is, most importantly, student-centered. As a teacher of English in particular, I am a believer that there is no one right answer in a text, but rather several valuable lessons to be learned and several possible approaches for reaching those lessons. The innumerable possibilities literature opens up for readers are what make me so passionate about it, both in and out of the classroom. Teaching in a flipped classroom, I have seen firsthand that when students are given choice, ownership, and the freedom to be creative in their learning, they take away much more than I could teach them in a one-way flow of information. Furthermore, I have had many students come away from my classes or lessons saying that they enjoyed reading more than they ever had, and that the skills they learned from me helped them in other classes. I get to know each of my students personalities and goals, and give each individual responsibilities to contribute to the learning community. I consider myself a leader, responsible for guiding each student to his or her highest potential, but also a member of the team, rather than a higher authority.

During my Masters, my area of expertise was 19th Century American literature, and I am particularly interested in the American Westfrom literature, to film, to television. Even outside of academia, I read for fun all the time and like to write. I love being outdoorshiking, biking, backpacking, and skiing. I enjoy playing with my dog, cooking, and watching baseball. I played college softball, so I also coach softball and like to stay involved in the game however I can. I consider myself a lifelong learner in everything I do, and coaching and tutoring will be passions of mine no matter what other career I pursue.