Heather
Certified Tutor
I graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.A. in English. I am currently working toward my masters in English Education at the University of South Florida.
I have tutored for three years in Tampa and New York City. I've also student taught several high school English classes as part of my masters program.
I tutor reading, writing, essay editing, phonics, literature, grammar and mechanics, college essays, public speaking, and English. My favorite subject to tutor is writing because you get to know your students really well through their writing, and it is such an important skill. My teaching philosophy holds that all students can succeed. My tutoring style is to identify where the student's strengths and weaknesses are and to turn those weaknesses into strengths.
When I'm not tutoring, I enjoy taking my dog to the beach, reading, and riding my bike.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of South Florida-Main Campus - Bachelors, English
Graduate Degree: University of South Florida-Main Campus - Current Grad Student, English Education
Spending time with my dog, reading, cycling
- College English
- College Essays
- Comparative Literature
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- High School English
- Literature
- Phonics
- Public Speaking
- Reading
- Writing
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Many pre-reading and during-reading prompts and exercises are useful to improve a student's reading comprehension. I also want to identify where the trouble is stemming from--is the vocabulary too difficult, does the student have trouble with sight words, is there a phonics issue, etc. That way I can address the issue in a targeted way.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I want to provide opportunities for the student to succeed early on so that they can build on their wins. I also try to relate the subject matter to the student's interests.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I explain concepts with simpler examples before applying them to more sophisticated contexts. I also do spot comprehension checks throughout lessons to ensure that the student is following.