...school students, with a focus on history, anthropology, writing, and sociology. Five years ago I became a middle school classroom teacher in San Francisco, CA, specializing in English and history. I spent the last two years teaching overseas in Lisbon, Portugal, working with diverse students from around the world. My teaching credentials in both elementary education, and secondary English and Social Sciences, coupled with my enthusiasm and dedication for working with young people, make me...
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...science research internships while also preparing to take the GRE and attend a doctoral program in the biological sciences. In the summer of 2015, I participated in behavioral research on chimpanzees, and am now assisting with the skeletal archives at the American Museum of Natural History. I have had experience teaching as a peer mentor for college students in Introductory Biology, as a camp counselor at the Central Park Zoo, and as a tap dance...
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...Writing, Creative Writing, Speech in school. I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a Bachelors in Computer Science in May 2014. My favorite subject to tutor is Spanish. I am recently ending a trip as an ESL language assistant in Seville, Spain. I studied the Spanish language diligently for years to gain fluency and as a non-native speaker. In the process I have learned a number of language "hacks" to really jumpstart learning. In my...
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...plans and methods should be tailored to the students that they are, not the students that they should be. Through my work with students, I hope to give everyone a strong support system and positive role model. Since graduating from UMD, I have been serving with AmeriCorps through City Year, a nonprofit organization that goes into schools to target student attendance, behavior, and course work with a near-peer relationship. In my spare time, I love...
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...and Calculus to Economics, standardized tests, Statistics, and more. Tutoring is something I enjoy because I love helping students achieve their goals and maximize their potential through practice and hard work. I'm a firm believer that the best way to improve in any area of academics is through practice. Once you become accustomed to the style of question, you will begin to realize why you are making mistakes and how to avoid making them in...
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...with them. I have tutored most subjects and many grade levels. Tutoring is one of the most important gifts you can give your child to prepare them for academic success. I have helped my students exceed in their coursework as well as prepare them for entry to private schools and colleges. A few of the skills I help my students excel at are: reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and math. I also have years...
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Hello! I am Carol Ann Bulger and I am a graduate student at Florida State University. I love working with children and I am hoping to use my knowledge to help others in their pursuit of an education!... I believe that all students have the ability to learn, and by helping students reach their full potential, they will become lifelong learners. This is important so they can promote active citizenship throughout their entire life. Teachers should...
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...schools. I have taught pre-kinder through 8th grade, in various subject matters such as Spanish, English as a Second Language and I am currently a dual language elementary teacher for all subjects. My other role is as a STARR Test Prep tutor for my school. I am passionate about helping struggling students find their own potential to be successful in learning any subject. My philosophy is to adapt the work at hand into a learning...
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I enjoy teaching and learning. I also enjoy getting to know and helping students figure things out - especially the "AHA!" moments. I have worked with children for 21 years. My husband and I have 4 children and we are foster parents. We have 2 bio kids, 2 adopted, and 4 "adopted" college kids. I'd love to help you or your child reach your goals!
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...in Management with a concentration in Marketing and my MBA from University of Dubuque. I am also pursuing my Doctorate in Business Administration from St. Ambrose University. Most of my career has been primarily focused on Talent Acquisition, recruiting, sales, lots of data analysis, and leadership. I recently transitioned into being a first grade teacher. I have experience with training, building, and leading large teams. I was the first person to go to college in...
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...creativity, excitement, and motivation to continually work to educate themselves, even after they have left the classroom. I see the role of school in society today as extremely vital for the future of America. What and how we teach our students is going to result in the type of citizens they become. As a teacher, I strive to educate informed, accepting, and motivated students to be the future leaders of America and so that they...
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...I also completed endorsements in Educational Leadership at National Louis University and Director of Special Education at the University of St. Francis. I am an experienced Special Educator and Educational Coordinator with thirty-one years of experience with students of various academic abilities. I have a strong background in social sciences and am skilled in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, public speaking, leadership, Junior High and Secondary Education, communication with staff, districts, and families, IEP writing and...
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...emphasizes creating a supportive and engaging learning environment that empowers students to express their ideas and develop their unique voices.. I tailor my approach to meet each student's individual needs, fostering not only their writing skills but also their confidence. Currently teaching, I find immense joy in guiding students through their creative journeys, inspiring a lasting love for writing. Outside of tutoring, I enjoy exploring literature and writing, which continually enriches my practice and passion...
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...in Boston, I was struck by a quote on the side of the Boston Public Library: "The Commonwealth requires the education of the people as the safeguard of order and liberty." This statement gives me great inspiration as I work with my students. As a tutor, I have worked with students from ages 5 to 25. I tutor many academic subjects, but my favorites are always History, Social Science, English, and Literature. I love these...
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...knowing early on that I wanted to be a teacher like them some day, I eventually graduated from there too with a Bachelors of Arts in Secondary Education with a focus on English. Saint Joseph's College not only shaped me as a teacher, but also as a writer. After I graduated, I landed an internship for a Manhattan-based music magazine which eventually turned into employment. I spent four and a half years writing for print...
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...all ages realize their academic goals in any subject! Because of my experience in the professional writing field, I am an excellent writing, language arts, and reading resource for students. I have high achievements in academic history, and have developed superb study methods to aid memorization and concept understanding. I have a very hands-on, personal teaching style. I aim to develop effective learning methods and instill confidence in all of my students so they will...
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...NY in 2002, Harvard University in 2006 with a B.A. in Sociology, and from Pace University in 2008 with an MS Ed in bilingual elementary education. I am a native New Yorker with over 10 years of teaching experience in public and charter schools, and directing tutoring centers in NYC. In my 10+ years as an educator, I've taught phonics to essay writing, number sense to logarithms. My success is not based on the curriculum...
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...biomedical research and cultural relations, and my work as a Supplemental Instruction Leader at Hampton University. I have also served as a peer tutor, helping students overcome academic challenges in science and other subjects, which reinforced my passion for mentorship and education. Beyond academics, my leadership roles, such as President of the Beta Kappa Chi National Scientific Honors Society and co-founder of BLACK BLEADS, highlight my commitment to community service and advocacy. These experiences have...
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...teacher. I also tutor some of my former, as well as incoming students. I am passionate about working with kids in a hand-on learning environment. I believe that students better retain information when they can physically work with what they are learning (ex. Games, foldables, ect.). I love working with students on reading and writing. I spend most of my normal teaching day working on those two things. I believe that in order to be...
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Receive personally tailored ISEE- Lower Level lessons from exceptional tutors in a one-on-one setting. We help you connect with the best tutor for your particular needs while offering flexible scheduling to fit your busy life.
ISEE- Lower Level Tutoring FAQ
The Independent School Entrance Exam (or ISEE) is an accurate and widely accepted assessment available in Lower, Middle, and Upper levels. All forms of the exam include multiple-choice questions and a writing assignment. The number of questions and the amount of time a child has to finish the test varies by level. Varsity Tutors can help you connect with an experienced tutor who can help your child with all areas of the ISEE Lower Level exam.
The ISEE Lower Level is for students who are entering fifth or sixth grade. Your child will have two hours and 20 minutes to complete the exam. The test itself is made up of five different sections, including Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and the essay.
The Verbal Reasoning portion of the exam is broken down into two types of questions: sentence completion and synonyms. Both are designed to test your child's vocabulary knowledge and ability to reason. There are 34 questions in this section of the test, and students have 20 minutes to complete it. Your child's ISEE Lower Level tutor can work with your child to determine if his or her verbal reasoning skills are at or above grade level. If they are not, your child's tutor may use flashcards or word games to improve his or her ability in this area.
The Quantitative Reasoning portion of the exam has 38 questions that students must answer in 35 minutes. The specific mathematical concepts that are tested are designed to determine your child's understanding of math and problem-solving. It does not assess the amount of math he or she has learned, but instead how well he or she is able to think in a mathematical context. To help improve your child's score in this area, your tutor will help him or her with test-taking strategies such as reading questions carefully and identifying exactly what information is being asked for, along with crossing out information that is irrelevant.
The Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement portions of the exam measure your child's ability to correctly answer grade-level appropriate curriculum-based concepts. The Reading Comprehension section has 25 questions, and students are given 25 minutes to answer them. The Mathematics Achievement section has 30 questions, which students have 30 minutes to answer. Your child's tutor can work with him or her to develop reading strategies and proficiency in mathematical operations in preparation for the test.
The final portion of the test is an essay question. Your child will be given a writing prompt that is appropriate for his or her grade level. ISEE does not score this portion of the test; it is sent to the designated school(s) along with the scores for the rest of the exam. Your child's personal tutor can work with him or her to develop writing strategies and the ability to quickly and concisely write responses.
The Varsity Tutors live learning platform enables you to schedule your child's private ISEE Lower Level tutoring session at a time and place that's most convenient for your schedule. Sessions can be held in a virtual environment or in person. Varsity Tutors can help you connect with an expert ISEE Lower Level tutor who is able to work with your child. To get started, contact Varsity Tutors today.
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Recent ISEE- Lower Level Tutoring Session Notes
Today we continued where we left off after skipping our session last week. The student's score on the practice test was great. His only real avenue for improvement is the vocab and essay sections of the test. Today we primarily worked on the essay portion. I decided to work on some prompts together in session. I want to get him to a point where he feels utterly comfortable and actually has fun with the essay. For homework I assigned one essay.
The student has shown how bright he is, so we are working on the best strategies for him to avoid making simple mistakes and how to go from "educated guess" to undoubtedly correct answers. Each section is very solid right now so it is just a case of building on a solid foundation and having him be prepared for anything that might get thrown his way.
Today we worked on sentence completions, synonyms and reading comprehension. The student is doing well practicing these sections of the test and we are continuing to work on learning new vocab words. We also started working on finding percentages of numbers and he is doing very well with this concept.
The student and I spent our time going over some concepts from the quantitative section of the test. He was very strong in his recollection of simplifying fractions. We built on this to go over ratios and proportions, which he picked up very quickly. We also discussed measures of central tendency. He needed a reminder about the formula for mean, but after this, he had no trouble finding mean, median, mode, or range. We finished by looking at some simple algebra problems and went over ways to solve these by substitution or estimation on the actual test. Next time we meet, we'll go into more detail about algebraic word problems and will reintroduce the verbal section.
This was my first session with this student, and I thought it went very well and ended up being even more productive than I had hoped for. Initially, my plan was to simply introduce him to the concepts, format and overall structure of the test so as to open his mind up to what sort of things he was going to be dealing with. After explaining the five sections and essay portion of the test, and what will be expected for each of them, I decided I could go ahead and go through some sample questions from each section with him. It gave him a clear snapshot of what the exam questions will look like, and he was very receptive to the information and took it in very well. We went through each question and I explained the answer and the reasoning behind it in detail so that he could see why the test material is the way that it is, in a sense.
I also had the student write a paragraph or two -- just about what his favorite thing he did over the summer was -- to gauge how he writes and see some of the areas he may need more attention with. I also spent some time asking him what are his strengths and what are his weaknesses to see what he said with regards to that. We discussed how to proceed best and what he would need support in with respect to any subject/ curriculum/ test-taking areas. I look forward to subsequent sessions with this student. He takes in information very well, so next week I feel I can begin assigning more practice work and doing more practice tests.
We went over basic math and algebraic concepts. We went through fractions, decimals, multiplication, addition, and subtraction. I look forward to our next lesson. We will review any homework given and move on to the next portion to assess his skills in the next category.
