About Me

I fell in love with reading and writing in my high school English classes. It was because of the teachers. Most of them graduated from Saint Joseph's College, and 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 and learning the endless rules of grammar. This has been most beneficial for my students whose writing continues to blossom. As a music journalist, my schedule was flexible and I was able to maintain several tutoring jobs throughout the city as well as Long Island. Currently, I teach English Composition at Saint Joseph's College where I am also earning an M.F.A. in Creative Writing where I will continue to pursue my hopes of becoming an author. For the past seven years, I have tutored students for the ELA Regents Exam, PSAT, SAT, ACT, SHSAT, 7th NYS ELA Exam and the Mark Twain Entrance Exam. I specialize in critical reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing, and believe that my approach to content is what shines. Learning has to be an interactive experience. You have to be engaged, you have to see the purpose, and when students do, they excel. A lot of these state exams and tests are designed to fail hasty test takers, but my techniques allow students to eschew these pitfalls. In addition to tutoring, I have three years experience teaching high school English: American Literature, AP English Language & Composition and AP English Literature. Some of my best days have been in these classrooms, and it is my passion to explore the world of reading, writing and language with students. I am very familiar with the aforementioned tests. I take each and every one of them and analyze them with eyes of a student so that I can recognize where common errors can occur. Then I explain each question. If a student and I are covering the Writing section (grammar) of the SAT, I explain the rules and mechanics of each question. This is something I wish my past teachers did. Instead, they simply read answer keys "It's not A, B, or D because the sentences are not grammatically correct. Next question..." I take the time to explain areas of struggle and tailor students' needs because it is what I would want for myself and my children.

Education & Certifications

Q&A with Melissa

Tutoring Subjects