Lori A: Northlake tutor

Certified Tutor

Thanks for stopping by my profile!

I'm an educator with over 15 years of experience teaching and tutoring German, ESL , writing, grammar, syntax, punctuation, reading, study skills, and test prep at both the secondary and post-secondary levels. Additionally, I have over 20 years of experience as a text editor and writing coach for both native and nonnative users of English.

My academic degrees are from Kansas State University (BA in Modern Languages with a concentration in German Literature), The University of Wisconsin-Madison (MA in German Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition as well as a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on ESL Teacher Education), and Northern Arizona University (Graduate Certificate in teaching ESL.) Throughout my career, I've worked with students from at least 20 different countries. It has been a privilege to learn about their home languages and cultures while helping them advance towards their educational goals in a welcoming, but structured, environment.

I believe that learning is a process of discovering both oneself and the world. The role of the teacher or tutor in this discovery process is to guide, inform, clarify, challenge misconceptions, facilitate reflection, model desired outcomes, and scaffold the student's ability to meet desired outcomes independently. While I am comfortable applying my philosophy of education to a wide range of subjects in the context of a tutoring session, a classroom, or a writing center, I most enjoy teaching or tutoring writing.

Writing ranks first on my list of favorite subjects to tutor or teach because a writing consultation or classroom discussion combines the creative work of generating ideas and finding engaging ways to express them with the analytical work of crafting a logical argument and ensuring that syntax, grammar, and punctuation convey the writer's meaning accurately.

Within the overarching umbrella of writing instruction, I particularly enjoy working with graduate students who are completing their doctoral dissertations or master's theses. I know that working with a tutor alleviates much of the stress involved in writing a dissertation or thesis. It's an honor to help graduate students navigate the dissertation process and make substantive progress towards degree completion.

Next on my list of favorite subjects to tutor or teach are German, ESL, and the grammatical structures of either English or German. I enjoy these subjects because I am passionate about analyzing grammatical structures and tweaking syntax until a sentence is just right. In fact, I enjoy thinking about grammar and syntax so much that I often diagram sentences for fun! If you're looking for someone to support you in mastering both the creative aspects of writing and the nitty-gritty analysis of making language say what you want it to say, you've come to the right place.

I look forward to working with you!