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Sarah

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I am a graduate of Columbia University's Barnard College, where I earned my B. A. in English with a dual concentration in American literature and creative writing. I anticipate entering a PhD program in American literature next fall, and am passionate about helping students realize a personal connection to literature and writing. While living in New York, I worked briefly in academic and commercial publishing, but found that while I loved helping to craft arguments and streamline language, I wanted the chance to teach. I tutor English for middle school through college, as well as SAT and AP English. My wheelhouse is American literature, but I am happy to work with any form of written word. I benefited, as a student, from the enthusiasm of my professors, and hope to share that same enthusiasm with my students.

In my free time, I enjoy key lime pie, This American Life, re-watching Freaks and Geeks, and long walks to my local Publix.

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Sarah’s Qualifications

Education & Certification

Undergraduate Degree: Columbia University in the City of New York - Bachelors, English - American Literature and Creative Writing

Test Scores

ACT Composite: 32

ACT English: 35

SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1490

SAT Verbal: 760

SAT Writing: 730

GRE Verbal: 162

Hobbies

American literature, southern literature, writing, blues and swing dancing, horseback riding, cooking, baking, NPR

Tutoring Subjects

American Literature

AP English Language and Composition

College Application Essays

College English

College Level American Literature

Creative Writing

Elementary School Writing

English

English Grammar and Syntax

Essay Editing

High School English

High School Level American Literature

High School Writing

Middle School Reading Comprehension

Middle School Science

Middle School Writing

Other

SAT Writing and Language

Science

Study Skills

Study Skills and Organization

Test Prep

Writing

Q & A

What is your teaching philosophy?

All students can benefit from a relationship with literature and writing, whether through an increased ability to communicate their ideas clearly and persuasively, or from simply experiencing an expansion of their own worlds through reading. It is a matter of finding each student's personal connection to the text: is s/he interested in considering it as a historical document? Finding patterns in images or themes and approaching the piece like a code to crack? Or is it a matter of finding something that relates to the student's own experience and working from there? Once there is a personal interest in the work, it becomes to easier to read critically, or write confidently. And once a student feels comfortable, even writing the essay for her SAT will seem like a manageable task.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

I'd like to assess a student's needs before our first session. With SAT prep, I need to know if there is a baseline we are working with. If not, then we'd spend the first session determining areas of strength and weakness before proceeding. For literature subject help, I'd like to know a student's syllabus if working with a specific text. In our first session, if working on understanding a text, I'd like to establish what goals have been set forth by the teacher, or if there is a particular critical approach the student needs to understand and apply. If writing an essay, I would assess what part of the process the student needs assistance with.

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